


Deceit and Mistakes

by BettyHT



Series: Aida [4]
Category: Bonanza
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-05 22:52:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16376546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BettyHT/pseuds/BettyHT
Summary: 4th story in the Aida series.  Adam and Aida have troubles with family, but Candy finds romance to his liking.





	Deceit and Mistakes

Deceit and Mistakes

Chapter 1

"Joyce, you need to tell him. It isn't right for you to keep this from him."

"Adam, I can't tell him. He's been so hurt by this in the past. What if it turns out not to be anything? Maybe it will go nowhere."

"Well, if it was Aida, I would want to know. And I'm uncomfortable keeping it all a secret too. I've told lies to cover up the trips to town. I'm just not happy having to do that. Any man would want to know no matter the consequences."

"I think your father has sensed something is wrong. He's been asking questions. And he has been acting differently with me."

"Well then all the better for us to get this out in the open. He's been pretty testy with me too. Seems I can't do anything to his satisfaction lately."

"Maybe you're right. I just don't know when the best time to talk would be. You will still go with me to town today, won't you?"

Sighing deeply, Adam agreed. The furrows above his eyes though showed his concern over what had developed out of a simple trip to town just two weeks before. Now he was mired in these lies and had not been able to broach the subject even with Aida because Joyce insisted he swear to keep it all secret. He continued to place the harness on the carriage horse so he could give Joyce one more ride to town. Then later today he was leaving for a meeting in Sacramento and wouldn't be back for five days. He had hoped to spend the day with Aida and Danny, but that wasn't going to happen.

Unfortunately Joyce was completely correct about one thing. Ben was getting suspicious and had followed her out of the house when she said she was going to the stable. He overheard the conversation and it validated his worst fear. His son was having an affair with his wife. He wasn't able to draw any other conclusion from the words he had heard and the lies he knew they had told.

Walking slowly back to the house, Ben wondered what he could do to keep his son away from his wife. Adam would be gone for five days. At least during that time, perhaps he could come up with a way to deal with this.

On the way to town, Adam did tell Joyce one thing. "I am going to tell Aida. I made a promise to her when we married that I would tell her the truth and not hold back. I have to tell her before I leave on this trip. I know you made me swear to keep this secret, but it's more important to me to be honest."

"All right. But please ask her to not tell anyone. I need to find a way to tell Ben this and I don't know how I'm going to do that yet."

"Maybe just blurt it out? Sometimes the hardest part if just getting started. Then the two of you can talk and decide what to do next."

"You're probably right, but I'm just so afraid to tell him."

"More afraid than you are about doing this without him?"

"I would like you to be there when I tell him. You can help me if I get all upset and can't talk."

"Joyce, that would mean you would wait another five days to tell him. Do you think that's wise?"

"It's the best course of action I can see now."

"Of course, I'll be there to help you. That's what friends are for. But please, if there's an opportunity before then, go ahead and tell him."

"Thank you, Adam. You have been wonderful to me. I can't tell you how much that means to me."

Acknowledging her thanks, Adam dropped her at her appointment as he went to the bank and the lawyer's office before picking up the mail. Then he planned to look things over and go home to review the documents with his father before coming back later that day to catch the afternoon train. He would ride the spur line until he got to the main line and then get a ticket for Sacramento. He saw Joyce waiting for him and pulled the carriage to a halt.

"Any news?"

"No change. I think my plan of waiting until you're back to talk with him will be the best."

"Well I plan to tell Aida when I get back home. I want to clear the air with her. Then I need to go over these contracts with Pa before I head back here later."

On the Ponderosa, Aida and Frannie were coming back from an excursion in the surrey. They had been to see Alice and then to see Claire. Danny was with them and sleeping behind the seat wrapped in a blanket. In between houses, the ladies had dropped by the branding to drop off lunch for the men, and of course for Frannie to have a chance to have lunch with Candy. Aida was not looking forward to trying to explain this to her father. The two were fast becoming romantically involved. Everyone on the ranch though it was a good match in personality. However Adam, Aida, and Frannie had already discussed what Darwin might do when he found out. Darwin had probably suspected that his daughter might have a dalliance with Candy, but in his mind it was unlikely that he could conceive of his daughter falling in love with a true cowboy. He had accepted Adam when he understood he was a landowner and had wealth. But Candy had neither. The two ladies talked about that as they drove back to the Ponderosa.

"Adam's going away for five days. I would have thought the two of you would spend this day together."

"He had to drive Joyce to town. He said he had promised her."

"They're spending an awful lot of time together. Doesn't that bother you?"

"Well, I was a little bothered today, but no if you're thinking I'm suspicious of the two of them. He has been very loving to me all through our marriage and nothing has changed. There is something going on though, and I do wish Adam would tell me."

"He is very loving; that's true. He's always touching you." At Aida's surprised look, Frannie had to amend the statement. "No, nothing objectionable. He just takes your elbow when you walk to dinner. He puts his hand on your shoulder when you walk outside with him. He'll sit right next to you on the settee and he puts his arm up on the back of it behind you so he can sit real close. He wraps an arm around your waist when you two walk upstairs at night. I mean, I wouldn't mind having a man who wanted to be close to me like that."

"Oh, I think there is a man who would be willing to do that for you."

"Yes, but we aren't that far along in our relationship. I did say yes though to him escorting me to a few social events while I'm here and perhaps a picnic and a ride together. I'm glad he didn't rush into asking to court me or something. This is very nice because we can get to know one another."

"And what do you think so far?"

"I think I wouldn't mind if he decided he did want to court me. I certainly wouldn't say no. What do you think Adam will say about that if it happens?"

"Oh, it's not Adam you have to worry about. He likes Candy. But Papa!"

"I know. It's going to be a big mess, isn't it?"

"That would be a mild way to describe how he will react. I think if it happens, you better be in Nevada and he better still be in California. Otherwise he might take you away bodily and lock you in a bedroom."

"You think it would be that bad?"

"Frannie, because Papa thought Adam was a cowboy, he was going to try to break up my marriage to Adam even though we had been married over a year and had a son. Candy actually is a cowboy, so yes, he will be apoplectic."

"What? I wish you writers could use words us ordinary folk would understand."

Well-educated and well-read Frannie was grinning as she said it, and she and Aida broke into laughter that woke Danny. Aida pulled the surrey to a halt in order to pick up her crying son who clung to her. He didn't like waking up in strange surroundings and this was one of the strangest he had experienced.

"Can you take the reins?"

"No, but if you settle him down, I'll hold him. I'd like to."

"You're going to make a great mother some day."

"How long do you think I can stay here with you before Papa insists I join them in San Francisco?"

"Oh, I don't think Ben minds you being her at all, and Adam and I and especially Danny very much enjoy having you here. Adam does need more challenges in his chess game. He admits he's been getting careless in his play because he didn't have enough of a challenge playing. His father and Candy can put up a pretty good fight but he wins too often. That makes it too easy for him."

"I didn't know Candy played chess."

"Oh, yes, just like Adam, he has a board set up all the time so he can study moves. You should challenge him to a game or two or three."

"I will. Now about Ben; he seems to be upset with Adam recently. Is it because Adam said it was all right for me to stay here? I don't want to make trouble between them."

"I don't know what is going on. Adam has sensed the tension. He said it seems he can't do anything the way his father wants it lately. I think he's rather glad to be going away for five days for that reason, although there are other things he will miss." And even though Aida tried to be smug when she said it, she had to blush which caused her sister to laugh.

There was no laughter in the carriage as Adam drove Joyce home. She was quiet for most of the ride thinking about what was happening. Adam had his mind on the contracts and was quiet too. He stopped the carriage in the yard and hopped down to help Joyce out of the carriage. Before he could, Ben was outside.

"I'll help my wife down, if you don't mind."

That statement should have been something Joyce enjoyed hearing, but just like a lot of things lately, there was irritation in his voice and no smile on his face. Adam just took the lead on the horse and began walking to the stable. Once he had the horse unhitched and the tack put away, he grabbed the contracts and mail, took a deep breath, and walked inside to talk with his father. Ben told Adam to handle the contracts himself.

"At your age, you shouldn't need to be wet-nursed through the process. Just get the deal done. We need those contracts so we can buy some equipment we need for the lumber mill and another team of draft horses to haul timber to the mill."

Somehow Adam held his tongue surprising Aida and his father. It was clear that Ben was itching for a fight, and Adam wanted to avoid that. He asked Frannie to entertain Danny for he said he had to talk to Aida whom he asked to walk upstairs with him.

"What is going on with your father?"

"I don't know, but I'm seriously thinking we ought to build our own house. The tension has been too much lately. But I do have something to explain to you."

In their bedroom, Adam closed the door and asked Aida to sit next to him on the bed. "I don't want to have to talk loud enough to be overheard." Then he explained what was going on with Joyce and why she was reluctant to tell Ben. "Now I apologize for not telling you the truth sooner, but Joyce made me swear not to tell anyone. I had to tell you before I left though because the guilt was eating me up."

"Can I talk to Joyce about it?"

"I think she would like that. I have encouraged her to tell Pa, but she wants me there to help her do it, and I have to leave in less than an hour."

"Well, is there time for me to give you a proper goodbye? I had hoped to do that this morning, but you had to get Joyce to town."

"Oh, I would welcome whatever you have in mind for the next hour."

Wrapping his arms around Aida, Adam fell back on the bed taking her with him. Soon there was clothing being discarded and kissing and touching. Entwined on the bed, they made love and then held each other.

"I hate to do this, but I need to get dressed and leave now."

"I knew you would, but I wanted a memory to sustain me for the next five days."

Once Adam and Aida were dressed, he grabbed a small valise. Downstairs he tucked the contracts in it, and then went to saddle his horse. Aida took Danny from Frannie and followed him to the stable so that both of them could say goodbye. The five days passed much faster for Aida and Danny than they did for Adam. Aida and Danny had Frannie as well as Ben and Joyce to help fill their time with activities. Both of them only felt lonely at night when Adam's absence was the most pronounced.

Five days later Adam arrived home with bad news. He walked in the house arriving home earlier than anyone had expected. His father was at his desk but Aida and the others were gone. He told his father the bad news, and Ben exploded.

"We needed those contracts. Surely you could have done something."

"To get the first contract, I would have had to bid at cost. There was no profit there and if anything went wrong, we would have lost money. The other contract required a deadline we could not meet. Pa, these were not good business deals for the Ponderosa."

"Or did you just want to avoid the hard work involved in meeting the demands of a difficult contract. We work hard around here for profits or have you forgotten that?"

Dropping his head, Adam massaged his forehead with one hand. He had nothing to say that would make anything better and a lot he could say that would make things worse. He chose to turn to leave.

"Oh, run away then. Go hide from your responsibilities and make up excuses."

Adam almost turned back at that point but thought he might just hit his father if he said anything more like that so he continued to the door and outside. He needed to put Sport in the stable anyway. He was there when a hand came in to tell them about a problem with some steers. He walked inside with them to see what his father wanted done because at this point he didn't want to do anything that would make him angrier.

"Mr. Cartwright, some cattle may have gotten into some jimson weed up near those box canyons in the upper northwest pasture. Sam tried to herd some of them there but one of em charged his horse. He got bucked off and one of them steers charged him and tried to gore him."

"Is he all right?"

"Yeah, he scrambled up one of them boulders there and stayed there until we could get his horse and take em back to em."

"Adam, go take care of it."

"There aren't any hands available right now."

"Well, can't you handle it? You messed up the contract negotiations. You ought to be willing to do some ordinary work here."

Still unwilling to have a fight with his father, Adam turned silently and stormed outdoors.

"Mister Adam, it ain't right for you to go up there alone. Cattle on jimson can be awful nasty. You just never know what they're a gonna do."

"I'll be fine. If it's more than I can handle, I'll leave and we can take some men up there tomorrow to deal with it."

"Well, good, cause that's probably what you're gonna have to do. I'd go with you but we're already short-handed moving those cattle we already got. The guys are gonna be expecting me back there to help."

"No problem, Sam. See ya later."

Adam rode out a bit distracted because of the conversations with his father. Somehow he had angered his father but didn't know what it was that he had done. They would have to have this out at some point, but he wasn't looking forward to that at all. They had not had an argument since he had returned after an eight-year absence, but he knew that soon would no longer be true.

Later that afternoon when Hoss, Joe, and all the hands came back, Hoss and Joe saw Sport in the stable so they went inside to talk with him but found their father had sent him out alone to deal with the cattle that had eaten some jimson weed.

"Pa, that's crazy. That's at least a three-person job. It's downright dangerous for one man to try to do alone."

"Hoss, are you questioning my authority on this ranch too?"

"No, Pa, I'm questioning why you would send Adam out on a job like that alone and just after he got back home after being gone five days."

"Well he failed to get those contracts!"

"Did he tell you why?"

"Oh, he had some excuses."

"Pa, Adam don't make excuses. If he told ya something, then that's what happened."

"Your brother isn't as honest as you seem to think."

"Pa, what's going on with you?"

"I would like to know that too." Aida had just walked in with Joyce and everything about Aida showed how angry and worried she was. "Candy just told me that you sent Adam by himself to do some dangerous work. Now everyone else is back, but Adam isn't. What are you going to do about that?"

Thunder rattled the house then. Worry turned to fear.

Chapter 2

Frannie handed Danny to Joyce and then headed out to the porch. Aida stood wrapped in her shawl watching the rain pouring down and the wind blowing as lightning lit up the sky. Aida had her arms held tightly to her, but when she saw her sister, she reached out for a hug.

"What is going on in this family?"

"Frannie, a secret has caused this. There should not be secrets for just this reason. People don't understand what's going on and draw all the wrong conclusions. Now Adam is out there alone, and we don't know if he needs help or not. I hope he sought shelter like Hoss said, but I'm afraid."

"Who's holding the secret?"

"I am." Joyce walked outside. "Frannie could you come inside and take care of Danny for a while? Aida, would you come in and give me some support when I tell Ben my secret?"

Putting her arms around Joyce, Aida looked at her and nodded. It was long past the time to do this. They walked inside together.

"Ben, I have something I need to tell you."

Feeling his chest constrict, Ben turned to face his wife. He was puzzled why Aida was arm in arm with her and looking pleased. Joyce asked him to sit by the fireplace. Aida sat in the blue chair that Adam usually sat in without seeming to realize the irony of that. Ben and Joyce sat on the settee.

"Ben, I think you're angry with Adam because he's been escorting me to town. You shouldn't be. I put him in a terrible position. He saw me in town one day, and he knew that there was a problem. I swore him to secrecy so he was the only one I could trust to take me to town. He already knew and he wouldn't tell you."

"What's going on? Tell me what?"

"Ben, I, ah, oh hell, Ben I have a tumor."

Feeling like all the blood had drained from his head, Ben felt dizzy but quickly had questions. "How serious is it? Where is it? What has Paul said?"

"It is a growth in my lower right side. Paul has been consulting with physicians in San Francisco. He wants me to go there for surgery. His opinion is that this may be just a growth, but there is the risk of course that it is something far more dangerous. So even though the surgery is a risk, he thinks waiting is a greater risk. Well, Adam was right. He said just to blurt it out, and it would all be out in a hurry."

"Adam knew?"

"Yes but I wouldn't let him say anything. He was a great friend. He told me right from the first day that I needed to tell you. I was afraid to do that."

"But why would you be afraid to tell me if Adam knew, and I would assume Aida knew too because she doesn't look surprised."

"Ben, you lost three wives. I thought you would be very upset if you knew that I had this."

"Joyce, oh, Joyce; yes, I lost three wives but one was killed by an arrow and another by falling from a horse. If I were frozen by those events, I just wouldn't let you leave the house. We need to go to San Francisco as soon as possible."

Standing, Aida said she was going upstairs to see to her son because Joyce didn't need her emotional support any more. She had a parting shot though.

"Perhaps you can think of what you'll say to Adam when he gets home."

For a moment, Ben had forgotten that Adam was stranded out in this storm, and that Ben was the reason for it. "I am so sorry. I have no excuse. I will make sure we head out as early as we can in the morning to find him. Aida, he's very smart. I'm sure he would have sought shelter when he saw that storm blowing in."

Almost in tears, Aida nodded and continued up the stairs. She knew she wouldn't sleep much this night. Hoss and Joe had assured her of the same before donning their slickers and heading to their homes earlier that evening. Of course, they had each let Ben know they did not approve of his decisions and walked out still angry at their father. Aida knew they would head out looking for him as soon as they could, but the rain was still coming down and it was dark. At least the lightning had stopped. She would put Danny in his bed now, and then she would wait. She expected that Frannie would wait with her. It was the greatest benefit of having her sister here. She was not alone any more when Adam was gone.

Downstairs, Ben was being questioned by Joyce who wanted to know why he had been so ornery with Adam. He told her about the conversation he had overheard and then she was doubly angry.

"If you heard us talking and didn't understand, that would have been a perfect time to ask me a few questions. I have been trying to think of a way to bring this up with you for a week. It would have been a lot easier if you had just asked. Now, the thing that really makes me angry though is that you would think that of me and think that of Adam. What is the matter with you?"

Hanging his head, Ben had a hard time admitting what the problem had been although it was clear to him what it was. "You are so much younger than I am and so beautiful. My jealousy got in the way of my thinking."

"Ben we have been married long enough for you to know how much I love you. You knew me long before then as a friend, and even though I had every reason to be unfaithful to my husband, you know that for all those years I was a faithful wife. Why would you think that now I would be something different?"

"I guess that I was looking at turning sixty-five on my next birthday and I was feeling old. Adam does the contract negotiations and most of the arrangements with the banks and brokers, Joe handles the horse business, Hoss and Candy handle most of the cattle issues with Adam and Joe helping. There really is no need for me here any more."

"You are the head of this family and this Ponderosa. You have shared the responsibility with your sons as you should. Now trust them, and trust me. We all love you."

"I know, but."

"But what? You're going to have to swallow your pride tomorrow at least and apologize profusely to one son and explain to all of them what a fool you have been?"

"Well, lady, you don't pull any punches, now, do you?"

"I thought you told me you wanted me to be honest with you about everything?"

"I did. It's just hard facing it. What about you? Didn't you realize that your secretive behavior is what made me so ornery?"

"I guess I was so focused on my problem, I wasn't thinking too clearly. But I also don't think it is fair to blame me for how you acted."

"You're right. I am sorry for that too. It was my fault and mine alone. I should be more concerned about your health and about Adam's safety tonight than I am about being embarrassed."

"Let's go to bed. You need to be up early tomorrow."

When Aida heard Ben and Joyce go to their room, she grabbed a robe and headed downstairs. Frannie had fallen asleep on the bed, and Aida couldn't sleep at all. She would wait for a while downstairs and keep the fire burning warmly. She suspected that when Adam did get home, he would welcome a warm fire. She hoped it would still be this night, but realistically she knew he would not likely be home until morning. She bowed her head and prayed for his safety.

Put in the pasture, Adam could swear he heard his wife's voice. He was sheltered just a little under some pines. As well as he could tell, he was short ride from home, but just before the storm hit, the pony he was riding had thrown a shoe. He couldn't risk crippling the animal just to get home to where it was warm and dry so he used the horse for some warmth and the trees for some shelter and waited. The lightning had stopped and the rain was diminishing rapidly. He hated walking but he had no gear to make a camp and there was nothing dry to burn anyway. He picked up the reins of the horse and began walking. He guessed it was near ten, and that it would take him two or three hours to walk the rest of the way. He began to slog through the mud and re-evaluated his earlier estimate. It was likely going to be three or four hours of walking at this pace.

At about one in the morning, Adam finally stumbled into the yard. He opened the stable, and then realized he had no matches to light the lantern. He walked toward the house to get the one burning on the porch, and Candy came out of the bunkhouse annex. As foreman, Candy had a room all to himself. Adam had seen the light on but didn't want to bother him.

"I'll take care of your horse, Adam. Your family is worried sick about you."

"Thank you, Candy, thank you. The pony is missing a shoe. I'll take care of it tomorrow."

"I'll have her all cleaned up for you."

Nodding in appreciation, Adam walked to the porch expecting the door to be locked. It wasn't which surprised him but then he realized Candy was awake and would have noticed anyone going to the front door. As he opened the front door, Aida awakened from the fitful sleep she was getting on the settee. She rushed to Adam and hugged him despite the damp clothing and the smell.

"I missed you so much. Let me help you get out of these wet clothes so you can warm up."

"They're not just wet. I slipped and fell in the pasture, and I think I fell in more than just mud."

"What happened? Hoss and Joe both said you would have gone to a line shack."

"I would have if I had been further out, but I saw the storm coming and decided that was no time to deal with cattle that had been eating jimson weed, so I rode for home until my pony threw a shoe. Then about all I could do was look for some shelter in the trees and wait it out. I didn't feel that cold much because first I had the horse for warmth, and then it was hard work walking in all that mud and wet grass. But the temperature really dropped in the last hour or so, and I'm freezing now."

Suddenly Hop Sing appeared at the corner. "Hot water in kitchen for you. Wash then eat."

"Thank you, Hop Sing. I'm afraid my clothes are filthy. Can I just put them in the washroom?"

"Put in soapy water after wash. I go bed now. You be quiet."

"We will. Thank you again."

Upstairs, Frannie as well as Ben and Joyce had heard some commotion and voices downstairs. As they exited their room, Ben and Joyce were met by Frannie. She was heading to her room. "It's Adam. He's home and safe, but I think you ought to give them their privacy. Aida is helping him out of his wet clothing right at the front door." With that, Frannie went in her bedroom and closed the door.

"She's right. Let's go back to bed. You can talk with him in the morning. He's got Aida, and that's who he needs right now."

Downstairs, Adam had finished stripping off the wet clothing and walked to the kitchen to wash himself. Aida grabbed a blanket she had been using on the settee and followed him into the kitchen. He washed as she watched. They did not talk so they would not bother Hop Sing any more than they already had. Aida poured each of them a cup of tea that was on the stove. Adam finished washing and placed his dirty clothing in the bucket of soapy water. He had left his hat, belt, boots, and gun belt by the front door. He would have to do something with them in the morning. He and Aida went out to sit by the fire as he ate the plate of food that had been in the warmer. Then he wrapped his arms around his wife and asked her what she had been up to while he was gone. He was relieved to learn that Joyce had finally told Ben what the problem was. He and Aida talked about his father's behavior and wondered why he had not trusted either Adam or Joyce. But that was a topic for another day. Adam closed his eyes as he held his wife.

""Let's get you to bed. You can sleep as late as you want if you're in our bed. Here, you'll be up by dawn."

Feeling warmer finally and wrapped only in a blanket, Adam let Aida lead him up the stairs to bed. Once they were in their room, Aida pulled the covers back and had Adam slide in first. Then she slid in beside him and they spooned. He still felt a bit cold to her but much warmer than he had when he had first come through that door. She smiled in relief and closed her eyes. She was thinking they could handle anything as long as they were together.

In the morning, Aida awoke first. She slid out of bed quietly and dressed. When she left the room, Adam had not stirred yet. She checked in Danny's room, but as expected, he was already gone. Frannie or Ben often went to him in the morning as both enjoyed time with him. When she reached the top of the stairs and looked down, her anger from the previous night boiled up again. Ben was sitting in front of the fireplace oiling Adam's leather belt, holster, and boots. He already had his pistol in pieces sitting on an oilcloth. He looked up as Aida walked down the stairs.

"Good morning. I assume Adam is still sleeping?"

"Yes, he's exhausted. He had to walk home when his horse threw a shoe."

"I imagine he is as angry with me as you are. I can tell just from your voice. Aida, I am truly sorry. There is in fact no fool like an old fool."

Not wanting to get into that conversation, Aida changed the subject. "Now that you know, what are your plans?"

"We talked and decided to go to San Francisco today. There is no reason to delay. We'll stay there as long as necessary. I'm leaving the ranch business entirely in the hands of my boys. I hope that Adam will take over the paperwork, and Hoss and Joe will have to step up to help. I know it's a lot to ask, but Joyce comes first at this point."

"It is a lot to ask, but your sons will certainly do it. Is there anything I can do?"

"Just continue to take good care of my son and my grandson. Do you want us to contact your parents when we're in San Francisco?"

"I was writing them a letter. I'll finish it if I can find the time, and send it with you. My father won't be happy when he reads it so skedaddle out of their home before that happens." Aida smiled then. She was telling her parents that Frannie would stay at least through the summer on the ranch. She knew her father would not be happy because he had to know that Candy had shown quite a lot of interest in Frannie, and now they would have plenty of time to see if there was a future for them. She also knew her father would be too busy setting up the branch office for his firm and organizing his home to have time to visit Nevada. She did worry a bit about her devious father's plans but put it out of her mind when she heard Adam coughing upstairs.

Chapter 3

"I oiled your leather items because it was my fault they were in that condition. Adam, there is no way that I can apologize enough. I'm sure that Aida has explained everything she heard, but I have to tell you, I told Joyce it was jealousy and my own insecurity that made me act with such disregard for both of you. I was a fool. I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Earlier Adam had come downstairs despite his wife's insistence that he ought to stay in bed. He was congested and feverish, but knowing that his father and Joyce were leaving that day, he dressed and wanted to talk with them before they left.

"Pa, mainly I am terribly disappointed. How many times do we have to have this conversation? What would you have said to me when I was young if I kept doing the same wrong thing over and over again."

"I am not a boy. You're talking to me as if I am the child and you are the parent."

"Well if the shoe fits."

"Ben, this is not how to resolve this. You need to apologize, and you need to let Adam express himself. He has earned that right. Your embarrassment over your actions is no excuse to be rude to him again especially after what he went through last night." Joyce was getting a little angry again herself. She had forgiven him the night before but didn't think he sounded that remorseful any more.

"Yeah, Pa, Joe and me were ready to lay it on ya too this morning except we figure Joyce and Aida did a bit of that already. You always told us we had to take our medicine when we earned it, and Pa, ya done earned this one."

"You're right. All of you are right. It is just such a difficult thing to do."

"We always thought so too, Pa. Hoss and I were talking about that outside. If we let ourselves hurt someone like you hurt your wife and your son, well you would expect us to face it like men. And don't give me a look like that. You know exactly what I mean."

Glad that his family was sticking up for him and also very glad he didn't have to try to talk any more, Adam leaned back in his chair and waited for the eruption. There wasn't one.

"I do trust you. I respect each of you too. I made a mistake. A very big one. I hope everyone can forgive me. Now I'm taking Joyce to San Francisco. We're leaving as soon as we can pack and get someone to drive us to town. I'll trust the three of you to decide who will handle the Ponderosa while I'm gone. I may be gone for quite a while."

All three sons nodded, and then gave Joyce a hug except for Adam who stayed seated. She understood. He didn't want to expose her to anything more. Within an hour, Ben and Joyce were on their way, and the brothers sat down to start discussing ranch business. Frannie had gone to get Candy and they waited to divide responsibilities until he arrived. It took just a bit longer than they expected, but Adam smiled when Joe mentioned that. In Candy's room, there was a necessary conversation taking place as Candy and Frannie were honest and wanted to see where their relationship was headed.

"Oh, you do play chess well." Frannie was looking over Candy's chessboard and recognized the gambit he had set up to study. She was in his room because she had gone to tell him what was going to happen and to let him know that Hoss had said he should stay there for now. There was going to be a big meeting with the brothers as soon as they got Ben and Joyce on their way. He had invited her in as he finished his breakfast and she drank the cup of coffee she had carried with her. She had not been in his room before, and she was impressed by what she saw. There were many books and of course the chessboard, but there were also some pieces of western art, and the whole room was attractive, neat, clean, and organized just like the man. He also had that gorgeous smile that made her knees go weak. She always wanted to run her fingers through his hair especially when he put his hat on and those locks dangled over his forehead. She hadn't touched him yet, but she was yearning to do that. Candy had been a perfect gentleman with her, and there were times she wished he wasn't so nice and respectful. This was one of those times.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Startled out of her reverie, Frannie blushed a little making Candy wonder what she had been thinking. Then he thought about her sitting in his room, and he smiled thinking perhaps he did have some inkling about what she was thinking.

"Wait here, would you, while I go send the men off for the day? It'll take but just a minute or two. Before you leave, there's something I want to discuss with you."

Frannie was a bit nervous about that statement but answered in the affirmative. Once Candy came back, he wasted no time.

"Adam told me that your father will do anything he can to keep us apart. What I need to know is how you feel about that."

Frannie looked down as she thought and sighed deeply which now made Candy nervous until she started to talk.

"When I was young, my father arranged a marriage for me. I thought he was my father and a man so he would know what was best for me. Well that man was already married. The marriage was annulled but I will never get back what I lost. It proved to me that my father was fallible, but I didn't know how to deal with that concept. My mother is very smart and also very traditional. She follows the Bible literally in its admonition to wives to obey their husbands. I know she enjoys seeing Aida get the best of him, and she was delighted to find that Adam was not at all what my father had assumed. Being here, I've seen how happy Aida is because she followed her own mind and her own heart."

"She's very lucky to have found Adam. There aren't that many men who would be willing to let their wives have an income after marriage. Of course, he is even luckier for having found her. But what I need to know is what is in your heart?"

"I want to stay here. I'm happier here than I have ever been anywhere. I will defy my father if he tries to make me move to California and live with him. Adam has agreed to help me if I want to stay no matter what happens between us."

"You've talked to Adam about me?"

"Yes, and don't look so worried. He likes you, and said he thought if we could make this work, that both of us could be very happy."

Smiling then, Candy was happy for Frannie was showing some real spirit, and he liked that in a woman. "I'm going to be very busy in the next few weeks or even months, but when I'm free, I would like to spend time with you."

"Candy, I would like that very much. Do you think you could teach me to use the carriage? If I could drive it, then I could help out more around here."

Wrapping his arms around Frannie's waist, Candy leaned down and kissed her on the lips. He had kissed her cheek before and had hugged her, but this is what Frannie had been hoping would happen and waiting for it. He leaned back to judge her reaction and smiled when he saw that she smiled.

"You do have the most gorgeous smile. I like that you smile often too. Makes me more sure of myself around you. Perhaps we could have a chess match this evening after dinner?"

"Frannie, why do I get the feeling that you think you will beat me?"

"Oh, probably because I do. You might surprise me though. Aida says you're quite good."

"Yes, I played her and she beat me. That's when I started studying gambits. But I need to go to the house now. They're probably waiting for me and discussing work assignments. If I'm not there, I'm bound to get all the dirty jobs no one else wants to do."

"They would do that to you? I thought they liked you?"

"Oh, they do, but it's the same thing they would do to each other if they had the chance. It's just how things get done by men."

"I think Adam is getting really sick after being out last night. Why don't you offer to help him and then he'll be willing to have your back against the other two?"

"Lady, you are a real asset. Thank you. I may do that." With another quick kiss, Candy released Frannie, and the two of them walked to the main house together.

Coughing softly, Adam was sitting at the desk. Hoss was sitting in a chair he had pulled up to the front of the desk, and Joe was perched on a corner of the desk looking over Adam's shoulder. Candy pulled a chair next to Hoss and sat down.

"Candy, Hoss says we're shorthanded. Any ideas on what happened to make some of our hands quit?"

"Well when that railroad company was recruiting men to work, they said they'd pay ten dollars a week. We pay thirty a month, so some hands quit and there's some grumbling by the others as well."

"Don't the hands realize that with the bonuses we pay for roundup and drives, that they make more than that? We also provide all their meals, housing, and buy basic supplies like ammunition too."

Hoss was surprised because he didn't know that. "Really?"

"Yes, with the railroad, the workers can earn five hundred twenty in a year. If they work year round for us, they make about five hundred and sixty. On the railroad, if the weather is bad and they can't work, they don't get paid. We carry our permanent hands through the winter on mostly light duty. The railroad also only provides the noon meal and tents for housing. Here they get three meals, and a solid bunkhouse to live in. On the railroad, they're expected to work seven days a week for that pay. Our men get many Sundays off and the others are light duty except during roundup and on drives. In the winter, lots of them get Saturday off too."

Hoss was going to tell Adam he needed to explain that to the hands except Adam started a coughing fit and couldn't stop. Hop Sing heard and soon had a cup of tea for him. Aida was more direct as she came over from the settee and put a hand on his forehead.

"You should be in bed. Your fever is higher than it was earlier this morning, and your cough is getting worse."

Expecting Adam to have a sharp retort for that, the others were surprised when all he did was grimace. It was a sign that he was very ill. He was only compliant when he had to admit to himself that he was sick. All he said to Aida was that he would lie down when the meeting was over. His voice was very hoarse after all the coughing, so Joe took over.

"Well, we need to see what we can do to get that information out there. Maybe we can write it up for our hands so no more of them quit, and then we can bring it to town when we're trying to hire. Maybe we can get a few more men to sign on."

"Joe, some of them homesteaders who have their crops in might be available for the summer. They could do fence repairs and clear that brush away from some of our watering holes."

"Hoss, that's a good idea. Can you take care of that? I'll go to town and see if I can't find a few more men to work. Candy if we write this up, can you handle any questions the hands have about it?"

As Hoss and Candy nodded in agreement, Adam continued to sip his tea and let Joe do the talking as they apportioned out the workload.

"Adam, can you handle the contracts? I know you're not well, but it's mostly paperwork."

When Adam nodded, Candy said he would help him as much as he could. That was a relief to both Hoss and Joe who much preferred working outside to sitting at that desk. By noon, the four had organized the workload and responsibilities. Adam declined lunch and headed upstairs to go back to bed. The rest of them sat down to a lunch of hot ham sandwiches and potato salad. As they finished, Hop Sing came out to say he had soup ready for Adam whenever he awakened.

"With potato. I know he no like rice."

Assuring Hop Sing that she would let him know when Adam was awake, Aida was still very worried. That Adam had so willingly gone back to bed was a bad sign because it meant he knew he was quite ill. His brothers were worried about him for the same reason, and all three were worried about Joyce. In both cases, everyone was frustrated because all they could do was wait which made them feel so helpless.

By early afternoon, Adam was downstairs and asked Hop Sing to draw a hot bath for him. After he had been soaking in there for an hour, Aida went in and found that he had fallen asleep in the tub. She woke him and got him to get out and dressed before he was chilled. Then he ate a bowl of soup which made both Hop Sing and Aida relax a bit.

"It's just a cold, but I was so tired after traveling and then being out and cold much of the night, I was exhausted. I feel a lot better now even if I don't sound any better. I'm just going to sit at the desk and look over what needs to be done."

That only lasted a short time until they heard a horse in the yard. It was too early for Joe, Hoss, or Candy to be back. Adam stood and looked out the window to see Barney Fuller.

Barney Fuller rode into the yard at the Ponderosa like he owned the place. Of course, Barney went everywhere like that. He tied his horse to the hitching rail and walked to the front door. Aida opened the door to his knock and invited him in. She had to wonder, after everything she had heard about this man, why he was there. The answers came as soon as he saw Adam.

"Well, I picked up my mail this morning and there was an interesting letter. I took the liberty of picking up your mail as well assuming that you got the same letter and it's there."

Taking the mail from Barney, Adam grabbed the letter he assumed was the one Barney had mentioned and tore it open. He read quickly and then looked up at Barney as if to ask what he wanted.

"Now, Adam, you and me and your father, have butted heads over contracts as far back as we can remember. I will do any underhanded trick or push my men as hard as possible to beat you and your father out of a contract. But I don't like it at all when some outsider comes in here and tries to do that to both of us. I assume that you didn't bid on that original offer. I didn't either. That deadline was impossible. Now they moved the deadline back a week, but I still don't want to take the chance on it. The penalties are too severe."

Adam waited and when Barney said no more, he had to ask. "Why are you here then? It's not to discuss a bid that neither of us can afford to make."

"From that voice of yours, it sounds like you don't know when to get in out of the rain. You gonna be able to work on this?"

"Depends on what 'this' is."

"I thought you'd see it right off. Adam, if we work together on this contract, that deadline won't matter. We can easily provide all the timbers they need and have time to spare. There's nothing in their solicitation that says we can't work out a bid together."

"Barney, what makes you think I would trust you on something this big?"

"Because you know all I want to do is make money. If I did anything to impede your operation, it would cost me money. I'll even let you draw up the bid and the contracts tying our businesses together for this one deal. I know I can trust you. Everybody trusts you. But we have to get the offer in the works in the next day or two or we'll lose too much time. Heck, I can even get my operation started up today producing for this bid if you agree to work with me. We're going to need more teams to pull the freight wagons, and we could buy those too splitting the cost evenly."

"I'll draw up a bid and contract, but I need to have my brothers' approval before I sign anything. This is too big a risk to do it without talking with them."

"That's fine. Can I ride back here later today to see what the final decision is? There's a lot of money here. I hope you impress that on your brothers."

"I will. I will let them know all of the risks and rewards associated with this endeavor."

"That's fine. I'll talk with you later today then."

"One change though. Meet my at our lawyer's office. If we're going to do this, he needs to draw up the contracts, and then we can sign."

"Fine with me. Can you be there by five?"

"Six would be better."

Agreeing to that, Barney left feeling very confident. An ill Adam was unlikely to make an ironclad contract, and Barney would look for ways to come out ahead in this deal once they knew that their cooperation would ensure that they could make all their deliveries before the deadline. He was rather proud of himself for what he had managed to accomplish in just one day.

Hoss and Joe did not return by late afternoon as expected. Adam had hammered out the details of what he thought would make a good contract. He finally asked Aida to drive with him into town. There he met with the lawyer and asked him to draw up some contracts after the lawyer gave him some advice on a couple of points. Barney arrived before six, and he and Adam discussed contract provisions using Adam's notes. Barney agreed that they could have a deal together, and then he signed the contracts placed on the table by the lawyer who asked him if he wanted to read the contracts over. He declined saying he trusted Adam. When Adam got home, Hoss and Joe were waiting for him as Adam had asked Frannie to give them that message. Joe was angry and Hoss was confused when Adam told them what he had done.

"You what? You know as well as I do that Barney Fuller cannot be trusted. What if he decides to use those horses just when we need them?"

"Then we'll exercise our contractual option to buy out his half of the ownership for half the original purchase price."

Pausing briefly to let that sink in, Joe chuckled. "I'm sorry. I should have known better. Like Pa always says: you have your mother's intelligence, and at least a little of your grandfather Stoddard's deviousness. How did Barney ever let you put that in the contract?"

"Well he may have been in too much of a hurry when he signed the final version and just assumed it was the same as the rough draft I discussed with him before he signed. It also says all payments are to be made to the Ponderosa, and that it is our contractual obligations to pay Fuller Enterprises for their exact share of the lumber delivered on time. If the deadline is not met, then Fuller Enterprises will pay the penalties."

"I reiterate my earlier statement. Well done, oldest brother!"

"Dadburnit, Adam, if you can do that when you're feeling poorly, then remind me never to try to negotiate with you when you're healthy."

His brothers' praise warmed Adam as much as the hot bath and the warm soup had. He went to bed that night and slept very well.

Chapter 4

"You are a deceitful cur. How dare you trick me into signing those contracts?"

"Barney, you said you trusted me. You don't trust me now to pay you fairly for the deliveries you make?"

"Of course, I know you'll pay fairly, but damn it, it wasn't right to put those other things in there that I didn't know about."

"Didn't the lawyer encourage you to read the contracts before you signed them?"

"You know he did. That doesn't change anything. Your father never did anything that underhanded when I worked with him."

"I am not my father. You thought to take advantage of me when I was sick. It didn't work. Now is there anything else you want to discuss because my wife is waiting for me? I hate to be late for church. Coming in?"

Turning away in disgust, Barney stormed off. Aida waited for Adam to reach her side.

"Have you made an enemy?"

"No more than he ever was before. He thought he had pulled a fast one on me, but he didn't. It won't stop him from trying."

"You enjoy that, don't you?"

"A little. What I like even more is that both sides will make a lot of money from this contract, and we can buy the new equipment we need, and have some draft horses we wanted too. I won't cheat Barney, and he knows that. He's upset because he won't be able to cheat us, this time. I hope."

The next week held no surprises except that there was no word from San Francisco other than to say they had arrived safely and were consulting with the doctors. It seemed ominous especially when that was all the information they had. Adam gradually recovered and worked around the house which made his son and wife very happy. Frannie was especially enjoying the week as Candy was often there to see if Adam needed any help, and somehow his trips home to do that seemed to coincide with lunch on a daily basis. In the evenings, Frannie and Candy played chess, talked, or strolled in the cool air.

On Saturday, Candy asked if he could take the day to teach Frannie how to handle a carriage horse and then take her on a picnic. Adam enjoyed playing the guardian, and sternly asked Candy if his intentions were honorable. Aida hit him in the arm for that.

"You're embarrassing your friend."

"I know and I was enjoying it quite a lot until you slammed your fist into my arm."

"Oh, I did not 'slam' my fist into you. That was a little love tap."

"Well, we'll see when the bruise develops just how hard your little love taps are."

During the mock argument, Candy and Frannie slipped outside and chuckled as they walked to the carriage. Adam and Aida were a great couple to serve as role models in a relationship.

Grabbing Frannie at the waist to help her up into the carriage, Candy held her quite a while before he did that kissing her lightly first. Then he climbed up beside her, and once they were clear of the yard, he handed over the reins and started her lesson. By Monday morning, Candy announced that Frannie could drive the carriage well enough that she ought to be able to bring lunch out to the crew.

With Danny in Frannie's care, Adam and Aida were going into town so that Aida could do some shopping, but Adam had to hire some men for the lumber and timber operations. He would likely be up at those camps the rest of the week with the new men. They told Frannie to give Danny an early lunch so that he would nap, and then she could drive lunch out to the men. That's where she was when Adam and Aida rushed home. They had received a telegram from Darwin that Marietta was gravely ill. Aida and her sister packed bags as Adam rode out to talk with Candy and his brothers. He came back with Candy whom he sent in to pack as well. Then he went into the house.

"Aida, Candy is going with you. I can't leave for at least two days. I know this is rather sudden to throw him into the mix with your father, but we talked, and he wants to do it. I'll take care of what I need to do, and get Danny to either Claire or Alice for care. Then I'll join you."

Rushing into Adam's arms, Aida was near tears. She had hoped to have Adam's support but knew he was caught in a dilemma with his father gone. At least Frannie would have Candy's support.

"Why do you look even more worried than I feel?"

"Because I wonder if Darwin could be so cruel as to trick you and Frannie with this. He got your letter almost two weeks ago, and now suddenly your mother is gravely ill. It just seems too coincidental."

"My father couldn't be that nasty." But even as she said it, Aida had to wonder if perhaps he could. She would have to be very careful. "Does Candy know what you suspect?"

"Yes, we discussed it, and he knows that's the main reason I want him to go with you. I sincerely wish I could be there, but you know I will be with you as soon as possible. I'll wire for reservations at the same hotel where Pa and Joyce are staying, and I'll set up a line of credit at our bank there for you. I've written down the names of some friends that you can call on for help if you need it. You've met them, but these are addresses at home and at their businesses. Send me a telegram when you get there."

"I will. Are you going to drive me to town?"

"Yes, so we don't have to say goodbye here. I need to get a lot done in town, and then tomorrow morning, I'll get Danny taken care of before I head up to the camps."

By the time Adam had driven the group to town, there was a telegram from Ben waiting for them. Joyce had had her surgery and it said all was well which was a huge relief to all of them. Adam kissed his wife goodbye and headed to the telegraph office to begin his errands.

In San Francisco, Ben was sitting by Joyce's side. The doctor was explaining that she had a large abdominal wall tumor. He said it had been encapsulated and was so large, it was pressing on other organs and nerves, and that had caused her symptoms.

"So the pain in my side and numbness in my leg should be gone now?"

"Yes, I would certainly hope so. Now there is the risk of infection even though we were very careful. You also lost a lot of blood during the surgery. My recommendation is that you rest for at least six weeks before even thinking of trying to travel home. Rest and good food should have you feeling a lot better before that, but you need to keep in mind what we did and stay cautious about movement. I'll take the stitches out in a week. Now you can stay in the hospital here, or we can have you transported tomorrow to a home or hotel for the rest of your stay."

"I have a room at the hotel. I could change that to a suite."

The doctor nodded that that was acceptable and left. The next day, very carefully, Joyce was moved by stretcher in a hospital wagon to the hotel. Ben hired a nurse to be there during the day to see to her care for the first week. He had purchased books, a chess set, and some sewing and knitting supplies so that if Joyce wanted some entertainment, it was there. They were comfortably relaxing in their suite when Adam's telegram was delivered. The next day, Aida, Frannie, and Candy arrived.

As soon as the luggage was in the suite, Aida and Frannie wanted to head to their parents' home. Candy asked them to at least say hello to Ben and Joyce to tell them what had happened. Ben was quite surprised because when they arrived in the city and saw the Hepburns, Marietta had seemed in fine health. Aida and Candy both thought about Adam's warning then. Ben saw the look and asked them what was going on so they told him. Candy went with the two sisters as they went downstairs to get a hansom to take them to see their mother.

At the Hepburn home, the housekeeper answered the door and said that yes Mrs. Hepburn was ill, but seemed puzzled when the sisters asked what the doctor had said. She told them it was the last room in the hallway upstairs. As Aida and Frannie reached the end of the hall, they heard their mother coughing. She was overjoyed to see them, and then she asked them what they were doing in the city. She also said she was sorry that she had a cold and could not go sightseeing with them. At that point, Aida knew exactly what her father had done, but now she needed to know why.

"Papa sent us a telegram that you were gravely ill."

"Now why would he do that?" Marietta paused and then frowned. She did know why he had done it. "He could have just asked you to visit. That man drives me to distraction sometimes. Now I wonder what he is up to. I haven't been out of this room in three days so he's had plenty of time to plot. Oh, girls, I am so sorry although I must say I am overjoyed to see you."

"I need to go send another telegram to Adam. I sent one to tell him we arrived, but now I need to send one to tell him you are not gravely ill. He'll know what that means."

Aida left, and Frannie stayed to visit with her mother and tell her all about Candy. After about thirty minutes, there was a hansom there at the house with a message that Frannie was to go meet Aida at the hotel. She bid her mother goodbye and left in the hansom. Hours later, Aida and Candy returned to the Hepburn home to confront Darwin. When they arrived, they were surprised that Frannie was not there.

"But I didn't send a message. I went to the hotel to tell Candy what happened, and then we told Ben and Joyce. Then we came directly here."

"Your sister is going to marry a respectable man." Darwin walked into the bedroom where Candy and Aida were sitting with Marietta.

"Oh, Darwin, what have you done now?"

"I have arranged for Francesca to marry the son of a wealthy businessman in town. His son is in the import-export business and currently living in New Orleans. She is headed to a ship that will take her there and she will have a respectable life."

"You son of a bitch!" Candy slammed Darwin Hepburn up against the wall. "If anything happens to her, I will put a bullet right there." Candy poked a finger in the center of Darwin's head. "Now where is she exactly?"

Darwin did not answer, so Candy drew his pistol and placed the barrel up against the underside of Darwin's chin forcing his head up. "Now tell me!" And Darwin's resolve broke. He was not a brave man.

"His name is Mann. He has an import business here."

"How did he know about Frannie?"

"He saw the portrait of my daughters that is in my office."

"What do you get out of this?"

"He will give me a number of contracts."

"You claim to be a respectable man, but you just sold your daughter to a man who buys women. You do know what that makes you, don't you?"

Releasing Darwin, Candy let him fall to the floor. He apologized to Marietta, and then guided Aida out of the house. He hailed a hansom, and the two of them returned to the hotel to get that list of contacts Adam had provided. Then they headed over to see the most important man on the list, a U.S. Marshal. The news they got from him was nearly devastating.

"Charles Mann has sent a number of young women out of this city on ships. Some to go to school, some for opportunities in music, and some to marry his son or other young wealthy men. When the families haven't heard from them, they have contacted the authorities. We always get the case when it is a cold trail. None of these women has ever been heard from again. We suspect he has been selling them as wives or concubines in other countries. The young women are always very beautiful and often come from affluent families. And Mr. Mann spends well in excess of what he could earn in the modest business he owns."

"So they're well educated and refined. They would make good wives or concubines and he could get a small fortune for each one."

"That's our thought, but we've never had a case where we could actually follow a trail. Now I need you to help. I have deputies here and I can call on other people to help. Did he say when she was to leave?" When they shook their heads no, he continued. "If she was to leave today, there's probably nothing we can do. But most ships leave with the tides and high tide is tomorrow morning. There looked to be a storm brewing over the ocean, so we may have twelve hours or more. We need to get moving on this."

Chapter 5

The next morning, rain was pelting the windows of the hotel. Aida and Candy were up early, and joined Ben in his suite for breakfast. They had been out late the night before giving a description of Frannie and what she was wearing. Aida was pale and ate very little. Ben and Candy did not yet know about her pregnancy or they would likely have insisted she stay in the hotel and rest. Instead, Candy agreed to take her to a telegraph office so she could send another telegram to Adam only this time it would be marked urgent. He had likely just gotten back home and might already be on his way to San Francisco.

In fact, Adam boarded the train for the first part of the trip about the time that Aida was sending a telegram so it just missed him. He would be in the city by the next day. Aida hoped that he arrived in time to help them for she felt completely overwhelmed by the situation. When Aida and Candy returned to the hotel, Ben suggested that they contact the Pinkerton detective agency for help. Candy went out to do that. Both he and Ben could see how exhausted Aida was so they insisted she rest.

"But I want to go see my mother. She must be going out of her mind with worry."

"You are not going anywhere unescorted. Adam would have my neck if I let his wife come to any harm. I can't leave Joyce, so you need to stay here until Candy returns. If you wish, invite your mother to come stay here with us. She'll be able to be with you, and she will know everything we know."

"I may do that."

"She would probably appreciate the time away from your father at this point. I just do not understand your father. He puts his desire for wealth above the value of his children. It just is not acceptable."

Unable to come up with an answer to that question nor any explanation, Aida excused herself to go to her room to rest. She knew that she needed to do that. She had noticed spotting that morning, and was becoming very afraid of what might happen. Before her nap, she checked again but found no spotting which was a great relief. About two hours later, there was a knock on her door. Candy wanted to go tell Marietta what had happened and invite her back to the hotel to be with them. Marietta was very relieved to be able to be with them although she was terribly dismayed of course by all that had happened and could still happen. She said Darwin was drinking in his study with the door closed, and she didn't know what to do.

"It's a coward's way out. Just let him drink. He's no use to any of us now anyway." Candy was blunt, but his heart was breaking and he knew whose fault that was.

Once Marietta had packed a bag, Candy and Aida escorted her to the hotel. Ben agreed that he would stay at the hotel to watch over the ladies. He had already given Joyce a short explanation because she had wondered at all the commotion outside her bedroom door. The nurse stayed in the bedroom with her, and they read and Joyce did some knitting as well, but mostly she slept. The storm that was raging outside had made their travel difficult but reassured them that Frannie could not have left the city by ship. They hoped the storm would last until they could find her. They got good news by late afternoon, and Adam arrived at the hotel.

"How did you get here so fast?"

"I called in every favor I could. I knew as soon as you sent me the news that Marietta was not gravely ill, that Darwin was doing something stupid. From the looks of everyone here, I can see that is true. Where's Frannie?"

So Aida and Candy filled Adam in on everything that had happened. They also had just received news that some of Mann's employees had been seen on the docks and there were now men from the Marshals service around the warehouse where they had gone. There was a help wanted sign on the door so the plan was to have a couple of their men sign up to work there. That would get them closer to the scene and get some help on the inside if they chose to raid the place. Adam had not shaved in days, and his clothes were rumpled. Dressed in those dark clothes made him look a bit sinister. He could look more that way if he wanted. Candy also had not shaved that day, and he had dirty clothing he could don. The two of them volunteered to try to get hired at that warehouse.

"Why do you always have to be the hero? Do you know how scared I'm going to be while you're gone?" Aida was worried for her sister and now would have to worry about her husband as well.

Candy, Marietta, and Ben excused themselves to give the couple some privacy.

"Wouldn't you like your sister to see a friendly face as soon as possible? She's in great danger right now. If they can't ship her out, then she becomes a witness against them. They can't let that happen." Aida grew very pale, and Adam helped her sit. "That's why Candy and I have to do this. We'll be as careful as we can. Please try to understand."

"I do understand. I just hate the idea."

Holding Aida close to him, Adam said nothing more. He reassured her with his closeness and his kisses, but he knew there was nothing he could say that would help. Quietly he released her, grabbed his hat and coat, and stepped outside to join Candy. The two of them would have to find shoes to replace their boots and hats to replace the cowboy hats. Other than that, their clothing would work. Once they were at the Marshals' office, they were given weapons that they could secure on themselves that looked more like what men on the docks would wear. The pistol rigs stood out too much. Once appropriately attired and armed, they walked through the rain to the warehouse. Men looking for work wouldn't have the money for a hansom, and they needed to look the part.

As Candy and Adam walked to the warehouse, they had the feeling they were being watched. But the big question was whether the watchers were their side or the other side or both. They had no answers. Once they were outside the warehouse, they pounded on the door. A man cracked the door open and asked what they wanted as he looked them over. With their answer, he swung the door open wide enough for them to enter.

"So what are you doing looking for work here?"

"We were in the gold fields and didn't do too well there."

The man scrutinized them carefully. "Let me guess. You weren't looking to find gold by working, were you? You armed?"

Both Adam and Candy nodded. The man asked them to hand over their weapons and both got very defensive. "I ain't giving up my gun for nobody. You'd as likely turn us in as anything."

The man found Candy's statement amusing. "It's what I guessed. You two need some money and a place to lay low for a while. Well I got an even better plan. We got some cargo that needs protecting. It'll move out of here as soon as this blasted storm ends. You interested in leaving town and getting paid to do it?"

It was exactly what they had been hoping for so both men nodded. Adam had a question though. "Where we going? I don't want to end up anywhere east of here."

"Well, it ain't no business of yours, but I can tell you have reason to be worried. It ain't east, and that's all ya need to know. We was gonna ship some cargo out of here by ship, but the damn storm makes that impossible so we're going overland. You boys know how to handle a team?"

"Done it a few times. Not a problem." Candy was hanging in the background just a little and letting Adam do the talking just in case they had seen him with Aida or at the Hepburn home.

"Your friend don't talk much."

"If we get paid to talk, he'll talk all you want. He's kinda shy otherwise. Not too bright either, but he'll do as he's told."

Candy was thinking Adam was going pay for those remarks at some point. The man directed them into the warehouse and to an area where they could see some light. When they got there, both of them had to use all the inner strength they had. Frannie was bound, blindfolded, and gagged. There was a large trunk, and one man was laying a blanket in the bottom of it. Apparently they were going to put her inside it and haul her out of the city that way. Adam and Candy said nothing afraid that Frannie might react to their voices. When asked if they had a problem with hauling this cargo, Adam just shrugged as if it was no big deal. He walked forward to where the horses were and checked over the harness as two men lifted Frannie into the trunk and closed it. Then they signaled Candy over to help them load it. One man climbed in the wagon and pulled a tarp over him and the trunk. Then Adam, Candy, and three other men were ordered to take the wagon to an address just outside the city. Adam and Candy were to drive the wagon, and the other three were to ride as guards: one ahead and two behind.

As Adam and Candy drove the wagon, they whispered to each other asking what they could do. Adam said they had to wait for the marshals to show their hand. It was too risky for them to try something with just the two of them against four others and Frannie helpless in the trunk. As they neared the outskirts of the city, the man in front told them to stop the wagon. One of the two men behind them called out to ask why but suddenly was very quiet. Adam looked behind and one man was holding a gun on the other. Then he looked to the front and the man took off his hat and showed them the deputy marshal's badge that was inside the crown of the hat. He grinned and pointed at the back of the wagon. The man in the back threw back the tarp to ask what was going on and found three pistols aimed at him. He drew his pistol to aim it at the trunk but never finished the move before three shots threw him over the side of the wagon into the mud where his blood mingled with water and flowed away in a reddish stream.

Climbing over the seat and into the back, Candy opened the trunk. Frannie was terrified but once she realized it was Candy, she closed her eyes and fainted.

"She fainted!"

"You really do need to do something about your looks. You scared the poor girl."

"Adam, don't start with me. I already owe you for back at the warehouse."

"What? Oh, yeah. That was fun. Well get her out of there. She's going to be a lot less concerned about the rain than being trapped in there tied up like a goose for Christmas dinner."

As Adam talked to the deputy marshals who put wrist cuffs on the surviving thug, they discussed what they would do next.

"We want the wagon to make the 'delivery'. It just won't be the one they were expecting. We should have some additional law enforcement showing up here shortly. We'll head to the address for this delivery. Your job is done. Now, you need to get that lady home to the rest of her family. You can take the two horses if you think she won't mind riding with one of you."

"Oh, I don't think she'll mind at all."

Adam smirked and the two deputy marshals smiled because as soon as Candy freed Frannie, she threw herself into his arms and kissed him long and hard. Mounting up on the two horses, Adam and Candy with Frannie seated in front of him rode back to their hotel. When they walked into the hotel lobby, employees told them they were not welcome there until Adam introduced himself and said they needed lots of hot water for baths and lots of towels and a robe for each of them. He gave them a room number and handed over enough tip money to ensure that everything would be delivered soon.

When they arrived at the suite upstairs, Adam knocked and Ben answered the door. Frannie rushed inside to hug Aida and her mother, and then yelled out Gianni and hugged him too. Aida walked to Adam and wrapped her arms around his waist as she buried her face in his chest. She was so glad he was safe. Frannie addressed her brother.

"When did you get here?"

"We arrived today. I went to Papa's house. He was drinking and told us to come here. Once we were here, Aida told us everything. I am so happy that you are safe. Now introduce me to your young man."

"Gianni, you're talking like you're my father. Candy is older than you, young man."

Introductions were made, and then Adam and Candy excused themselves to go get cleaned up. Frannie wondered where she could go and her mother took her to her room saying they could share a room.

"Aren't you going home, Mama?"

"Not right away if at all. I've been talking with Aida about that. She said she was sure I would be welcome on the Ponderosa."

"Mama, that would be wonderful."

"Frannie, I told Aida that I am not cut out to live on a ranch. I would love to be near the two of you but I need to live in a city. I have never lived anywhere but a city, and I truly am not ready to start over."

"Now that Gianni is here, perhaps you could live with him?"

"He has offered, but my suggestion is that he buy a house near where I live. Then we will be close but he will have his privacy too."

"Where will you live?"

"I truly do not know. Aida and Gianni said they would come with me to see your father. Some things will have to change if he expects me to stay with him. I will not divorce him, but after all the things he has done, I cannot accept his edicts any longer. I should have stopped accepting his authority long ago, but I was raised to obey my husband and respect a man's authority."

Frannie and Marietta retired for the night. Candy relaxed in the bath and then did the same. Adam fell asleep in the bath, and Aida had to wake him. When he stepped out, she offered to help dry him so he could go to bed and get some sleep.

"Lady, if you're drying me off, there won't be any sleeping for a while."

"Well, cowboy, I think I might like that. I have missed you."

"Come 'ere."

For the next hour or so, Adam reminded Aida of why she hated him to be gone for even one night. He started with gentle kisses as he often did, and then she would ask for more, and he would do more until she had to have more, and eventually they would be making love. She knew he was seducing her every time, and every time she was more than willing to let him. When they finished, he pulled her into him spoon fashion wrapping his arm around her and holding her close. She knew she was going to have some of those whisker burns again tomorrow, but it had certainly been worth it.

Chapter 6

In the morning, Aida did have some whisker burns. Adam was up first as was his usual habit. He shaved, and when Aida awoke, he spread healing salve on the whisker burns he had inflicted the day before. Those tissues were sensitive. There was a knock on the door, and then they heard Candy and Frannie ask them to join them for breakfast.

"Are you hungry?"

Adam nodded. He was very hungry. "Famished! Can you dress fast enough to join them in the restaurant downstairs?"

"If someone keeps his hands to himself, I can."

Adam yelled out an answer. "We'll meet you downstairs as soon as Aida can get dressed."

Later as the two couples exited the restaurant, they saw the U.S. Marshal who had worked with them. Candy hailed him and he walked over greeting Adam warmly.

"I never thought my old partner would end up married. How did you ever capture this beautiful woman?"

Blushing a little at the man's praise and appraising look, Aida wondered why she had never heard of this man before. He saw her quizzical look and correctly surmised her question.

"I was a deputy marshal in Abilene. I was the one who often fed information to Adam here. There were murderers who we could never apprehend. He would get them, but he would follow the law and bring them to justice. Now he's giving me tips."

"Tom, you must have been after Mann well before we arrived here. You already had two men on the inside." Adam knew that the ease of their rescue operation was entirely due to the advance work of men from the marshals' office.

"Not just two. The man who hired you was also working with the marshals' office although he was doing it for money. I wasn't working that case until you showed up. In fact I didn't know anything about the case until Candy appeared with Aida at my door asking for help. The men who were on the case said they were always a step behind him, and that's why they got some men on the inside. They gave me the rundown on the case that I explained to Candy and Aida. With your help, this time they were caught directly in the action." Tom looked apprehensive though.

Adam had to ask. "What is it you aren't telling us?"

With a deep sigh, Marshall Tom Manson answered. "We didn't get Charles Mann. Somehow he was tipped off. He's gone, and we have no idea where he is or what he's planning to do next."

That statement sobered the group, and after thanking Tom for the update, they headed upstairs to let the others know what had happened. Soon, the Hepburn siblings and their mother went with Adam and Candy to confront Darwin. When they reached the home and got to the front porch, the door was ajar. Adam told Gianni to get the women back to the sidewalk as he and Candy drew pistols and edged inside. Shortly after that, Candy came out and retched up his breakfast over the porch railing. Adam walked out and pulled the door closed.

"We need to summon the police."

"Adam, what's happened? Where is my father?" Aida had turned pale, and based on Adam's look, knew the answer before Adam said anything. Marietta was distraught as she too expected the worst.

"I'm so sorry, but your father has been murdered."

"Oh, my God, he was murdered? How do you know that?"

Adam hoped there would not be too many more questions. "It is obvious by the body. There's no doubt. Now why don't you take your mother and sisters back to the hotel? You need to let your wife and my father know what has happened. Candy and I can stay here and talk to the police and tell them anything we know." Adam and Candy hailed a hansom and sent the Hepburns back to the hotel.

Hours later, Adam and Candy returned to the hotel. The police had their statements, had collected evidence, and had consulted with the marshals' office. Adam had made arrangements to have the house cleaned, and for the body to be picked up by the undertaker who had a business near that neighborhood. Unfortunately when they returned, the family had a lot of questions and wanted answers. Joyce was sitting with the group, and when Adam warned his father that the details were gruesome, Ben took Joyce into their bedroom staying with her and closing the door firmly. Gianni's wife left too going back to their room with the baby.

Taking a deep breath, Adam told them as much as he thought they needed to know and hoped they would not ask any questions. "The main suspect in this murder is Charles Mann. It is believed that he entered the home late last night. Darwin was stabbed multiple times but it is believed he may have been unconscious from drink when it happened. Then the murderer apparently went to his closet and slashed all of his clothing. There is evidence that he shaved off his beard. We do not know what Charles Mann looks like now. Anything of value in the house is gone and is presumably to be sold to give him money for his escape."

"Adam, why did Candy throw up when he left the house? A man such as Candy surely must have seen a dead man before. What was it about my husband's death that was so gruesome a man like Candy lost his breakfast?"

"Marietta, do you really want you and your family to have horrible images as the last memories you have of him?"

"I need to know the truth. I need to know what we might be facing."

Dropping his head, Adam blew air out and then looked up at Candy who nodded. "Darwin was disemboweled. There was a tremendous amount of blood and such. He was sitting in his chair as if he allowed it to happen without a struggle. It was a sight that was enough to make anyone lose their last meal."

"There's more, isn't there?"

Nodding but not saying any more, Adam waited.

"Then whoever did this to my husband is a truly evil man?"

"Yes. We have to be careful. None of you should go anywhere unescorted. We have no idea if this was the extent of the vengeance he will seek." Immediately Gianni left to go to be with his wife and child.

"It seems to me that you and Candy are at greater risk than any of us."

"Perhaps. We just don't know who we're facing. Only Darwin ever met with the man."

Over the next two days, there was a funeral and Marietta and Gianni with his family moved back into the house. Adam had a locksmith install much better locks, and he made sure that Gianni had a weapon to use. Joyce was getting stronger each day, but she was not yet ready to make the trip home. One day while Aida and Frannie were sitting in the bedroom visiting and knitting with Joyce, Ben sat down with Adam and Candy to talk about what they would do next.

"So Gianni and his mother have given their blessing?"

Candy almost blushed when answering. "Yes, I asked her after she woke up in that wagon. It made me realize how crazy I would be if she wasn't with me. Her mother and Gianni both have approved, and also have given their blessing to her to come back to the Ponderosa. I hope that's all right with you, Mr. Cartwright?"

"Of course, it is. Aida will certainly enjoy spending time with her sister. Now, I want you and Adam to pick out a nice place for a house for the two of you. We'll pay for it's construction. Adam has agreed to design it and oversee the construction."

"Oh, that's too much."

"Not at all. We have agreed that will be the wedding present to you and Frannie from our family. Adam has told Aida and Frannie to go ahead and plan the wedding so if you have anything you really want to happen that day, you better let those ladies know before they have everything set."

"Well I don't want to wear a fancy suit."

"Tell them soon. Aida didn't get a fancy wedding from me. I think she's planning to make up for it planning yours. At least I eventually shaved the beard and cut my hair." Adam was grinning, but Candy looked pensive. "Candy, we didn't mean to make you worry. It's your wedding. You should be happy."

"Adam, I've just been thinking about some things."

Waiting for more, Adam was surprised by the line of reasoning Candy divulged.

"Why would Charles Mann take revenge on Darwin? He didn't do anything to Mann. We did. The only thing that Darwin could do was to identify the man. Now if he wanted revenge, it should have been to attack the two of us, but no one has made any effort to harm us."

"I know. I've been thinking along those same lines. Tom said no one knew what Charles Mann looks like except how could he move about the city and run a business without anyone ever seeing him."

Ben had a thought. "Unless Charles Mann is a cover identity for someone else who can move freely throughout the city because he's known by another name and has another job."

"Adam, when you knew Tom Manson in Abilene, did he look like he does now?"

"Yes, just like that except a little younger."

"Well, when I met him and worked with him, he had a full beard. Then the next morning after he found out you were here, and that the operation against Mann's operation was going to happen, he shows up here clean-shaven. I still recognized him because of the clothes and the badge."

"And Charles Mann shaved in Darwin's house after he butchered him making it look like he was taking revenge when he was really eliminating the person who knew him as Charles Mann."

"It would be interesting to know why Tom left Abilene. I think I have a couple of telegrams to send." Adam grabbed his hat and holster, and Candy said he would go with him while Ben again stayed to protect the women. By the next morning, they had replies. "Marshals have sent replies. I worked with some of these people to bring in murderers they really wanted to see locked up. Bill in Newton and Bill in Abilene as well as Tom in Abilene all say he was let go for suspicion of having too close a tie to some criminals. His full name is Thomas Charles Manson."

"Well, Adam, now what do we do?"

Thoughtful, Adam rubbed his forehead. "I think we talk to the sheriff and see what he wants to do if anything. Tom is probably going to be lying low for a while. It will be up to the law to watch him and wait for their opportunity. All we have is supposition and no evidence of anything. Don't look at me like that. I agree with you. It is highly suspicious but hardly something that we can do anything about at this point. We need to pack up our ladies and get them out of here though. Let's go home to the ranch where we have a lot of people who will look out for our ladies."

So Ben stayed with Joyce in San Francisco for another week until she demanded they head home. On the Ponderosa by that time, Adam and Candy had found a suitable building site and agreed on a house plan. The ladies were busy planning a wedding, and Charles Mann and Tom Manson became faded memories.

The only concern for Adam and Aida was that she continued to have spotting during the trip home and then when she was home. Finally Adam insisted she see the doctor. They drove to town after being home only about two weeks. Doctor Martin told them she was at a high risk for a miscarriage, and that all they could do was wait although rest for Aida and avoiding any strenuous activity might help. They would have to wait and see what happened.

Chapter 7

Marietta sat on the porch and listened to her daughters talking. She missed her husband. She missed living in the city. The sound of her daughters laughing and talking together as well as the opportunity to spend so much time with Danny made her happy though. Ben and Joyce were expected home within a day or two, and with everything calmed down, Marietta was thinking perhaps it was time for her to leave. The house would be full of people, and she felt like an outsider.

"Mama, what are you thinking? You look so sad." Aida was concerned that her mother's grief hadn't been expressed fully and might yet cause her mother to break down.

"I was thinking that it's probably time for me to think about going back to the city. Gianni and his family are settled in now. He wanted me to stay with them right away, but I wanted to see my daughters safely settled in at their home."

"But Mama, I want you here for the wedding." Frannie didn't want her mother to leave.

"Your wedding isn't for two more months. You and Aida have so much work left to do for that, and I promise to be back to see you married to your young man."

"That's it. Aida and I need you to help us with the wedding. Candy keeps saying to keep it small and simple. Adam always backs him up. You're the extra vote we need to make this wedding special. Please say you'll stay until the wedding?"

"I'm not sure the Cartwright hospitality that was so gallantly offered was meant for more than two months."

"Oh yes, it was." Adam walked up to the ladies. So intent on the conversation, none of them had seen him ride in. "Marietta, you are my mother-in-law, and as such, you are part of my family. There is no limit to how long family is welcome. Are you comfortable in your room?"

"Oh, very much so. You have been a most gracious host, but I miss the city too."

Understanding that, Adam had an offer. "In two weeks, I need to travel to San Francisco on business. I could escort you then if you promise that you and Gianni will be back here for the wedding."

"Adam, that is lovely. Yes, I promise, and I am very grateful for the offer."

"Now, I need to get some work done inside, if you'll excuse me." Aida followed Adam as he went into the house and sat at the desk. He spread some contracts out on the desktop and began jotting down items.

"I don't remember you saying you had to go to San Francisco."

"That's because I didn't."

"When were you going to tell me then?"

"I thought I just did."

"You can be so maddening. Why do you need to go to San Francisco, and why am I hearing about it now and not sooner?"

"Because I just decided now that I had to go so I could escort your mother safely to her home. Is that good enough for an explanation, or do you have to punish me for being a bad boy?"

"What kind of punishment do you think you deserve for this behavior?"

"I think I should be taken to my bedroom and not allowed out until I have pleased my wife enough that she is smiling again."

Aida had to fight the smile then. "Very well. That's what you shall do, but not until tonight. I'll tell you when."

"Very well, my lady. I await your command. Meanwhile, I do have some contracts that I need to review to make sure we meet all the deadlines."

"Don't you have time for even a little interruption?"

"It depends on what the interruption will be."

By then Aida was next to him and leaned down to kiss him. Her tongue naturally seemed to want to enter his mouth, and he didn't object at all. Soon she was sitting on his lap as all thoughts of contracts had fled. Luckily Adam heard the front door open and broke the kiss. Hoss walked to the desk well aware when he saw them that he had interrupted something.

"Dang, you two need to put a sign out so a man knows it's safe to enter the house."

Aida stood, and smiled before she left the two men to attend to their business. Hoss shook his head.

"You sure got the right one for you. Not much ever seems to bother her."

"You needed something?"

"Yeah, Josh isn't feeling well, and I need to stay home with him."

"Is Claire all right?"

"She's not feeling too good either. I guess they both got the same thing, but Josh is a lot sicker than Claire. So for a coupla days, you need to get along without me."

"Go take care of your family. Joe and I can handle things."

"Joe's got that horse auction to go to. He ain't gonna be around much for the next week."

"All right, I'll handle things. Candy can help. And don't tell me he's busy."

"Well other than chasing after his fiancée, nope, so I think he can help you out all you need. You still planning on going up to the lumber camp?"

"I have to go. Candy hasn't done much with that part of our operation. It'll go better if I handle that part. Candy will have to set the work schedules for the cattle and horse operations every day until I get back. I'm making lists of things we need to get done."

That evening after dinner, Adam and Candy spent a lot of time working out a schedule for work to be done especially for the few days that Adam would be gone. They expected Ben to be home within a day or two. He would probably be quite happy that he was needed as soon as he arrived.

"Your Pa is gonna be pretty darn happy when he finds out we need him here."

"I'm sure he will be. I'm glad you'll be the one to tell him. I've have quite enough of his lectures over the years about the sticks."

"The sticks?"

So Adam showed him the trick that Ben had used to emphasize to all three of his sons that they were stronger together. He took four pieces of kindling and handed them to Candy telling him to break them with his hands. Of course he couldn't, so Adam handed him one, which he broke easily. "Pa always said that four of us together were too strong to break, but alone anyone can be broken." Suddenly Adam had a flashback to prison and how he had nearly lost his mind by being alone. Candy saw the change come over him.

"You feeling all right?"

"Yes, it's nothing. Now, let's finish up this schedule. If I want to make an early start tomorrow, I need to have this done soon so I can get a good night's sleep."

Aida hadn't seen the look that Adam had when he had the flashback so she simply snickered. Candy remained concerned but knew that Adam wasn't going to talk about it. The two of them finished the paperwork, and then Adam suggested to Aida that he wanted to get to bed early. She smiled and put her sewing aside. Adam wrapped his arm around her waist and the two headed up the stairs. Frannie waited until they were gone to talk to Candy.

"What happened? You sounded very concerned."

"We were talking and he suddenly got pale and looked like he was a thousand miles away."

"Maybe a few thousand miles away. I thought I saw it too. Aida said that Adam has admitted to her that prison almost broke him. He was in isolation for five years, and it took quite a toll on him. I bet he was thinking about that when he talked about how one could be broken when he didn't have the others there to back him up."

"Five years in isolation? What did he do?"

So Frannie told Candy about how Adam had been tricked into an affair with a good friend's wife, and how she set him up to kill her husband. It was in self-defense but her testimony and Adam's strong sense of guilt had caused him to be locked up for five years. She did mention that the judge who was out to see him punished was the dead man's father, so she told him too about the time in Denver when he got locked up again and how Aida said it made him act like it had been five years instead of days until he was released.

"I remember men like that from being in the Army. A gunshot or cannon fire had them back in a bloody battle from their past. It was difficult sometimes to get them to focus on the present. Usually they were allowed to leave the Army. It's too dangerous for everybody when someone can just fall back into their memories like that."

Up in their bedroom, Adam and Aida spent some time making love. It was unusually intense. Aida hadn't seen that type of reaction in Adam for quite some time. It usually meant he was upset about something. As they lay together in the dark, she had to ask.

"What's wrong? And don't tell me it's nothing or that everything is fine. The way you made love with me tells me that you're upset about something."

"I don't know what's wrong. I was talking with Candy, and suddenly, I felt trapped. I had to breathe deeply and calm myself."

"What were you talking about when it happened?"

"Why does that matter?"

"You know why it matters or you wouldn't have tried to evade my question like that. Now what were you talking about when you felt that way?"

"The sticks."

"The sticks?"

So once more Adam told the story about the four sticks and the one stick that could be broken except he didn't have the emotional reaction he had when he had told the story to Candy. Aida rested and thought for a bit.

"Were you thinking about prison when Candy broke the one stick?" She felt Adam tighten his embrace just a bit, but it was enough of an answer. "You didn't break, you know. You were bent and hurt, but you never broke. Keep that in mind. You showed remarkable strength, and you came out of it a strong man." She didn't need any light to know that he had closed his eyes at that statement. She leaned toward him and kissed him before brushing her lips over those closed eyelids. "I love you. I respect and admire you like no other. You are the bravest man I know."

Pulling her close, Adam reciprocated the kisses before whispering in her ear. "Thank you. I love you more than my life. I would do anything for you."

"I know you mean to reassure me, but when you say that, it scares me. Just love me and do all those things you're so good at doing, and I'll continue to be the happiest woman in all of the west."

"All right, that's a deal. Now I really do need to get some sleep. You have a big morning in front of you too."

"I do?"

"Yes, I'm going to be gone for several days. You want to give me a proper send-off in the morning, don't you?" The familiar teasing tone was back, and Aida relaxed. A kiss was her only answer to his question, and she not only heard his chuckle but felt the deep rumble in his chest as she snuggled into his arms.

The next morning, they weren't even late for breakfast which surprised everyone except they did note the rosy glow in Aida's cheeks and how relaxed Adam was. Within an hour, Adam was on his way up to the timber camps. As he rode away, Tom Manson watched from the hillside where he had been camping for several days. He mounted up and followed his quarry.

Chapter 8

With his mind on what he had to accomplish at the timber camps, Adam didn't notice anything unusual. His instincts from being a bounty hunter though kicked in and he felt uneasy as the morning progressed. He started to check his backtrail and watch the ridges around him. Somehow he sensed that something wasn't right but couldn't determine what it was. Several times he turned and waited to see if he could discern movement. What he didn't know was that the man following him had the same training and had waited for this moment for days practicing in his mind how he would do what he wanted to do. When Adam stopped for water, he bent to fill his canteen with water from a fast moving mountain stream. It was what Manson needed. The sound of the water was enough to cover the last of his approach.

"Don't move!"

Adam froze with the canteen in his right hand. Even if he would have had a clear shot by turning and firing, he would have to drop the canteen and pull back before he could even draw. It was likely that his nemesis already had his gun drawn so there was nothing he could do. If Tom had wanted him dead, he would have fired already so there was still some hope.

"That's right, bounty hunter. Thinking it through? No, I don't want you dead. If I killed you, your family would hound me to death. No, I just want you out of the way. That little lady was already bought and paid for. You ruined my business. I have no credibility now unless I can make delivery. Then they'll see that I can still be trusted to do what they want, and the money will start flowing in again. Now, unbuckle that gunbelt with your left hand. You can keep the canteen in your right while you do it. Move slow and easy and no one has to get shot."

Unbuckling his gunbelt with his left hand, Adam let it drop to the ground. He kept his right hand out in front of him holding the canteen. He knew where his pistol was and hoped to throw the canteen if Manson gave him a chance.

"Thinking about your odds, aren't you? Don't try it. If I have to, I'll shoot, but I won't kill you if I can help it. Now drop the canteen and move away from the pistol. Move to your right and lay face down." Adam complied. He heard movement and from the sounds he could hear, he assumed that Tom had picked up his pistol and taken his rifle from his saddle scabbard. He heard the sound of his canteen being slung across the saddle.

"Put your hands behind your back."

A rope was tied from elbow to elbow and then around and around his middle and knotted over his stomach effectively tying his arms at his sides. He wouldn't be able to reach the ropes to untie them. Adam wondered what Tom was going to do with him. He wouldn't be able to get on his horse the way he was tied. He didn't have to wonder for long.

"Move to your right and push through that brush. I scouted out this location a couple of days ago. It was so nice of you to ride in this direction. I thought I was going to have to drag you here from miles away. This worked out very well for me, but not so well for you."

As they moved deeper into the trees, Adam could see the roof of an old abandoned structure. "You must have had a timber camp here a long time ago. Luckily for me, the storage shed is still there. It's going to be your home for a bit." Adam was already thinking that he would be able to get out of that old shed within hours. The wood would have deteriorated significantly and once he was sure Tom had ridden away, he would be able to kick a hole in the side. He was fairly sure of that so he cooperated.

Once Tom shoved him into the shack, he turned expecting him to shut the door and latch it. Instead he was met with a blow to the shoulder and then was hit repeatedly. Unable to protect himself other than to curl into the fetal position, he didn't think any bones were broken but couldn't be sure. As he lay in agony on his side unable to do anything for himself and finding even breathing to be painful, he heard Tom breathing hard and then laughing at him.

"I said I wouldn't kill you, but you cost me so there was a price to pay for that. Nobody crosses me up like that and gets away with it. Come after me, and that could happen to that pretty little wife of yours or maybe your son. You hear me, bounty hunter?" When Adam didn't immediately answer, Tom kicked him in the leg. Adam quickly mumbled yes as well as he could through swollen lips. He heard Tom pull the door closed then and pile something against it. He tried to move his legs and pain shot up from his ankles to his back. He wouldn't be able to kick his way out until that pain diminished.

As Adam lay in agony in the abandoned supply shack, Tom Manson took up his observation post above the house and watched. If the men left the house long enough, he would move in for his victim. Otherwise he might have to wait a couple of days until they realized Adam was missing and set out to look for him. At some point, it would only be the Chinese cook and women in the house. Those were the odds that Tom wanted.

At the main house on the Ponderosa, no one knew that anything was amiss. Candy was in and out all day managing the things that he and Adam had agreed must be done first. Then he sent Hop Sing into town with the wagon to pick up Ben and Joyce who were supposed to arrive on the noon stage. Dinner was already cooking and Frannie and Aida took care of watching over everything and getting the dining table ready for the welcome home dinner. Marietta watched over Danny as he slept. When the sound of the carriage announced the arrival of Ben and his wife, all rushed outside.

Up on the hill, Tom got a good idea of who was in the house. He noted how stiffly Joyce walked correctly surmising that she was not completely well. Ben's arrival was a concern but not as much as when Hoss arrived. Tom had seen him leave two days earlier assuming he was going away for a bit. Instead it appeared he had been there all along. Tom realized he was going to need to be a lot more observant and careful about making assumptions. Three men was definitely too many to confront especially with the four women as wild cards and that Chinese cook in the kitchen. All he could hope was that all three men would ride out when they found out the oldest son was missing. He assumed that would be at least another day. In fact it was a day and a half later when he saw a man dressed as a logger riding toward the main house. He smiled in anticipation.

In the house, there was surprise and then worry. Ben voiced his frustration first. "What do you mean that you're waiting for instructions? Adam rode up there two days ago to get the crews working on what we needed done. Didn't he tell you what you needed to do?"

"Ain't seen hide or hair of 'im, Mr. Cartwright. We've been doing our best guesses as to what we should be doing. We jes been waiting on somebody coming up to tell us the plan."

"Where's Adam, then?" Aida couldn't quite keep the panic out of her voice.

"I never seen him ma'am. I never seen any sign of 'im and I come by here using the usual route. I ain't got no idea where he is."

"Jobe, ride back to the timber camp and look around for Adam. Candy, go get Hoss. We need him to follow any tracks we find. I'll go tell Hop Sing we need supplies. I want to ride out of here as soon as possible."

Up in the abandoned timber camp supply shack, Adam had grown weak with dehydration, pain, and the cold temperatures at night and the stifling warmth of the days. He had seen two sunsets and a sunrise, but by the second sunrise, he was no longer aware of where he was. He was existing in a primal level of pain, discomfort, and thirst. By the day before, he had worked out a theory in his mind as to why he had been abandoned in this shack but could no longer remember what it was. He had also expected that help would soon be there for him but had forgotten that too as his physical needs overwhelmed his intellect. When the search party called out his name, he didn't hear them, and even if he had, he would have been unable to respond.

Hoss had led the searchers within a half-mile of Adam's location but he had veered off the path toward a stream and no one could find any kind of tracks in the pine needles and scrub brush two days later. All the men could do was spread out and look for anything unusual. There was Ben and Candy with Hoss as well as six hands they had come across working with the herd in a high pasture. Several men had passed by the abandoned shack and not looked in the dilapidated building. They expected to see Sport wherever Adam was. Hoss walked that way with Candy and almost passed by for the same reason until he saw the wood piled against the door.

"Candy, why would anyone block the door of an old shack like that?" Hoss moved to the wood and began tossing it away causing Candy to have to dance out of the way. Hoss pulled the door open and stepped into the darkness. "Oh, Lordy. Candy, call everybody here." Hoss knelt by Adam's side and pulled his pocket knife to slice through the ropes binding his brother. Then he held his hand by his mouth and nose hoping to feel that Adam was breathing even as he held his own breath. The warmth on his hand was a great relief. He was alive. Very carefully, Hoss slid his arms under his brother and picked him up. He stepped from the old shack just as Ben arrived.

"Oh, my God, is he?"

"He's alive, Pa. He's hurt, but he's alive. Somebody gimme some water."

Ben dropped to his knees and held Adam head on his thigh. When Hoss got the canteen and tipped it to Adam's lips, he moaned and tried to grab the canteen.

"Easy now, older brother. You take a mouthful and spit it out if ya can. The you can have more."

Adam swallowed instead. Hoss waited to see if he could keep the water down. After a few minutes, he gave him another swallow. He did that about a dozen times as all the men watched.

"Hoss, wet this handkerchief for me. I want to clean up his face. He probably can't even open his eyes with that much stuff crusted over them."

Hoss poured water over Adam's face then before wetting the handkerchief so that Ben could wipe his son's face. He cleaned away the grit and dried blood by his eyes and was relieved when Adam opened his eyes then.

"Son, who did this to you?"

"Pa?" Adam's croak was barely recognizable except everyone there knew what he must have said.

"Yes, Adam, it's your Pa. Now can you tell me who did this to you?"

"Water?"

Hoss tipped the canteen to Adam's mouth once more letting him drink. Then he pulled it away so that Ben could ask again. Adam seemed to have trouble focusing and it was at least ten minutes before he suddenly seemed startled. Ben leaned down to try to hear what he was saying. Adam had to repeat his croaking sounds several times before Ben understood. Shocked he looked up at the others focusing on Candy.

"He said it was Tom Manson, and he wants Frannie. He left Adam here to draw us away from the house."

Candy was on his horse and riding hard before anyone else thought of what they should do. Ben looked at Hoss. "Leave one man, a blanket, and the food here with me. Send a wagon when you can. Hurry."

Hoss handed his canteen to Ben before rushing to Chubb. He dropped the food sack and a blanket and told the youngest of the men to stay. He asked all the others to ride hard with him. Undoubtedly Tom Manson would have used this morning to try to take Frannie. Hoss feared what they would find when they got back to the house. He knew his father had to be worried about Joyce, but he had to stay to care for Adam.

Chapter 9

Pandemonium had reigned at the main house for a time until Aida got Hop Sing untied. He took charge and told everyone what had to be done. Joyce was told to lie down so she wouldn't faint. Aida was told to hold a compress to her mother's arm as Hop Sing got what he needed to bandage a shallow wound from a bullet that had struck Marietta in the arm. Aida was barely holding it together, and her mother was already a wreck and wanted Aida to ride after the men so they could ride after Manson and get Frannie back. Danny had been hysterical and crying because of the gunshot, the shouts, and then the women screaming. Aida was doing her best to calm her son even as she helped her mother but wasn't calm herself which her son sensed. There was another near panic when Candy rode into the yard at breakneck speed and ran into the house through the front door that was still standing wide open. Everyone tried to talk at once then.

"Hold it. Hold it. I can't understand when you're all talking." Looking over the group, Candy focused on Joyce. "Can you tell me what happened here?"

"A man, who must be this Charles Mann, entered from the kitchen where he had already tied up Hop Sing. He held a gun on us and told us he was taking Frannie with him. He said he didn't want to kill anyone, but he wasn't against the idea of hurting anyone. He pulled Frannie to go with him, and that's when Marietta got shot. She tried to grab Frannie to prevent her from going with him, and he shot her. He yelled then and said the next one was in her head before he backed up with Frannie and said we could help Marietta. When we rushed to help her, he pushed Frannie out the door, and they rode off."

"Candy, he had Sport. Where's Adam, and why did he have Adam's horse?" Aida could barely get the words out.

"We found Adam. He's banged up some, but he's alive."

"How banged up?" Knowing he was alive helped, but then Aida needed to know more.

"He was beaten, and then he was left tied up with no food and no water. Ben's with him, but right now, I have to follow them."

"Candy, he said if anyone follows, he'd kill her."

That made Candy pause unsure of what to do. "I'll wait for Hoss to get here with some of the men. We'll decide what to do then."

The sound of horses riding in preceded Hoss' call to Candy if it was all right to enter the house. Candy told him to come in, and then Hoss had to have everything explained to him as well.

"Candy, by now, they're on the main road. We'd never find em anyway. Let's follow only to try to see where he's taking her cause we don't want to put her life in any danger. Then we need to talk with Roy and get a posse going."

After sending of the men with a wagon to retrieve Adam, Hoss led Candy and the other men on the trail of Manson and Frannie. He told the men to hang back and wait for his signal if he needed them. Candy rode beside him because Hoss knew there was no way to hold him back. After a while of watching, Candy had to ask him what he was doing.

"Well, with all the tracks in the road, it's hard to mark where two stand out. But Adam likes a horse with spirit and Sport's got plenty of that. He doesn't like being led, and he especially doesn't like a stranger on his back. He'll be dancing plenty and snorting. That makes him hard to lead but also leaves a trail like no other. There'll be tracks showing him moving around instead of just going in a straight line like most horses like to do." Then Hoss pointed out a spot where Sport must have made it difficult for Manson. They followed and watched for the signs showing that they had left the road. It took some time because the first clue was when Hoss couldn't find any tracks that were distinctive enough to be Sport.

"They must have left the road somewhere in the last mile. I'll send one of the men to get Roy now. We're gonna have a trail to follow soon."

After sending one of the men to town to tell Roy what had happened, Hoss began backtracking the previous mile until he found where the two horses had left the road.

"He knows a lot about tracking. He left here where the gravel from the stream overflowing the road won't show tracks so easy. Then he'll be in that pasture where we've been grazing a herd. Won't be easy to follow him there either with all the cattle tracks all over."

"You saying you can't do it?"

"Nope, just saying he probably thinks I can't." It did take Hoss nearly an hour to find where the pair had exited the pasture. He had changed direction and was headed due south. They followed the trail that was easier to find for a while. When they pulled up on a rise above the small McPherson ranch, they rode down without waiting to find a trail. There were obvious signs that trouble had occurred there. Mrs. McPherson was kneeling next to a man on the ground. By all appearances, it had to be her husband who was a very large man. They pulled up and dismounted next to her. Davis had his eyes squeezed shut as his wife held a wad of cloth to his shoulder slowing the bleeding.

"Hoss, I'm so glad to see you. A man up and shot my Davis without a warning. Then he headed into our barn and harnessed up our horse to the buckboard and rode off. He left two horses. I sent my James on one of them to fetch the doctor. Hoss, could you and your men carry Davis into the house? James and I just weren't strong enough to do it."

"Yes, ma'am, we can do that for ya. Ma'am, did he have a woman with him?"

"Yes, he did, and she looked so pitiful. He had her hands tied, and then he gagged her before he drove off. By then, she was just laying in the back not moving."

"Hoss, McPherson raises horses. Why would he take a buckboard with all these fresh horses to use?"

"Candy, a woman being taken against her will looks kinda obvious tied up on a horse. Laying in back of a wagon, he could cover her with a blanket or a tarp, and no one would even know she was there. Now he can try to blend in with normal traffic on the road."

"All right, then. Why the buckboard and not the carriage?"

"I'm guessing he means to travel over some rough ground."

"So he's heading south."

"Yup, that's what I was thinking too."

After the men had gotten Davis into the house and got a sack of food from his grateful wife, the group headed out led by Hoss who was moving a lot faster because it was rather easy to follow the wagon tracks. Dusk stopped them. They had to make camp although Candy had wanted to keep going. Hoss convinced him they had to wait for more light.

"But he could be all the way to Cleaver by now if he got to the road before it got too dark."

"Yup, you might be right, but I don't think he got that far with a wagon. But ifn he did, we wouldn't find him now anyway. More than likely though, he's camped up ahead. In the morning, we'll ride for Cleaver as soon as there's enough light. We'll get him, Candy. We will. I promise."

"But will be get him before he hurts her?"

"From the sounds of it, he won't hurt her. He wants to deliver her as he said he would. He won't hurt her unless he thinks he has no other way out. We have to catch him by surprise, and blundering into town tonight would show our hand too much. Get some sleep. We'll be heading out early."

On the Ponderosa, Adam was settled into his bed with Aida at his side. He looked down at her and saw the worried expression. "You know I have to go. I'm the only one who knows what he looks like."

"I know, but I hate it. I hate seeing you hurt, and now you're hurt and going into danger. Why does it always have to be so difficult?"

With no answer to that, Adam pulled her closer, but that hurt so he couldn't suppress the groan. Pulling away from him, Aida sat up and reached for the lamp to turn it down. She lay back against the pillow. She knew sleep would be difficult for her so she was determined to try to help Adam rest. She leaned over and kissed his lips very gently.

"Thank you, sweetheart. I know this must be terribly difficult for you, but your sister is very important too. We'll get her back, and I will do my very best to see that no one from the Ponderosa gets hurt. I'll let Hoss and Candy have the lead. I'll only be there to help as needed. You know Pa won't let me do any more than that."

"I know. He's going to have a difficult enough time saying goodbye to Joyce. He's been with her every day for weeks now, and he's still very worried about her. She seems much better to me though even if she hasn't got her strength back yet."

"Pa has to fuss over those he loves. He can't help it. He held my head on his lap all the way back to the house even though there was a blanket he could have rolled up and put under my head. I slept for most of the trip, but when I woke, he was there. I told him he didn't have to do that, and he said it had been a long time since he could do it so I wasn't to deny him." Adam smiled a bit at the memory. Even Aida had to relax a bit with that image. They were quiet then and fell asleep only to be awakened before dawn by Ben. They wanted to get going at first light so they needed to dress and get ready in the dark.

One of the hands had come back with Sport and the other horse and to tell them where Hoss and Candy were headed. They planned to head south in a straight line and try to meet up with the others outside of Cleaver if Adam was able to ride fast enough. His injuries would not interfere with his abilities, but the pain of them might do just that. After kissing their wives goodbye, father and son headed south at a good pace. After a few hours, Ben could see how much the pain was affecting Adam, but when he asked if he wanted to slow the pace, he had only one answer each time.

"We'll slow down at Cleaver." Then he would kick his horse to urge him onward. He didn't have Sport because the horse was too tired from being pushed so hard the day before by Manson. He was riding a horse that was recently broken and needed a lot of direction, but the horse was strong and fast. Finally they saw Cleaver in the distance and slowed. Adam sighed deeply, and Ben called a halt.

"You're exhausted. You wait here. I'll go see if I can find the others."

Adam wanted to say he was fine and could ride further, but he knew he couldn't. He nodded and sat down in some long grass holding the reins to his horse in one hand and his canteen in the other. Once Ben rode off, he released the reins so the horse could graze while he lay back in the grass and closed his eyes. He must have fallen asleep almost immediately for when four riders came up to him, he didn't even notice.

"Hoss, you just can't get rid of him. He follows us everywhere we go."

"I know. We kinda figured we'd see him sooner or later today."

"Didn't expect him to be sleeping though. Man gets old, I guess he needs more sleep."

Sitting up, Adam scowled at his brother and friend. "I am not old. But we thought you might be ahead of us. Pa rode toward Cleaver to see if he could find you."

There was no need to ask why Adam hadn't gone with him. He struggled just to stand and tie off his canteen to the saddle. When he mounted up, both Hoss and Candy gave involuntary grimaces as they noted how stiff he was and that he closed his eyes when he settled in the saddle as if to allow the pain to die down before he had to say or do anything else. Hoss simply waited until Adam looked at him. "Ready?" Adam nodded and the men followed Ben to Cleaver. Somehow, they all suspected the confrontation would take place there.

Chapter 10

"Candy and Adam need to keep out of sight. Tom will recognize Adam, and he might recognize Candy. With the rest of us, he may know who we are, but he knows we don't know him. He could walk right on by us, and we'd never know."

"Good idea, Hoss. I'll get us a room at the hotel. Adam and Candy can come in the back way. We'll watch out the windows as the three of you work your way through town. Even if you don't know him, it's likely to make him nervous and he'll probably want to get out of here. We'll see him then hopefully and make a move on him."

Hoss and the others nodded. It was the best plan they had. Soon Ben was riding up to the little hotel in the town as Hoss and the two hands began to walk down the street from one end of town to the other. There were a number of wagons in town so there was no way of knowing which one might be Manson's or even if he was still there. At the general store, there were supplies being loaded onto several wagons. Hoss took a seat on a bench across the street from there as the other two kept on walking.

Inside the store, Manson saw Hoss across the street and got nervous. He moved to the door and didn't see anyone else he recognized although there was a buckskin horse tied in front of the hotel, and it hadn't been there earlier. He saw more horses but didn't recognize any of them. Very quickly then he moved to Frannie's side. She was standing in a drug-induced stupor waiting for him. He pulled down the bonnet he had purchased for her until it shaded her face. He wrapped an arm around her and told her to look down. She did. Then he pulled his own hat lower and pulled on the barn coat he had purchased. To almost all observers, the two of them would look like a farm couple in town buying supplies for the farm instead of supplies for a journey. Outside, he pushed Frannie to climb up into the seat of the buckboard. She had trouble and he had to look up to help her.

From the hotel window, Adam spotted him. "There he is, Pa. He's helping Frannie into that wagon."

Looking out, Ben saw what looked like an older couple climbing into their farm wagon. "Adam, are you sure?"

Exasperated, Adam looked to Candy. "It's them. Go get Hoss and the others to help you."

Momentarily shocked that Adam had bypassed him and given instructions to Candy, Ben quickly recovered his composure and his good sense. Adam had recognized Bill Enders when he was wearing a mask. Certainly he ought to trust Adam's observation that the couple down there in the street was Tom Manson and Frannie. He followed Candy out the door saying only one quick sorry before he left. Adam watched from the window as Candy alerted Hoss and the others who quickly converged on the wagon. Seeing them move toward him, Manson grabbed Frannie to use as a shield as he pulled his pistol. He backed toward the hotel and away from the five men. Adam watched for just a few more seconds before removing his boots and drawing his pistol. Down in the street, Candy tried to get Tom to let Frannie go.

"We don't care about you. We just want the girl." Candy was pleading. He would let Manson go if it meant that Frannie would be safe.

"Well, you see, first of all, I don't believe you. Second, I need her. Without her, my business is done. I made quite a bit of money with it, but I spend a lot too. She is my ticket to a fortune, so you see, I can't let her go. She'll be well taken care of. The man who bought her is very wealthy."

"You're no better than a slaver. You can still walk out of this town alive if you let her go."

"If you try to do anything, I'll shoot her first. Remember that. Now, I'm going to put her on a horse here and we're going to ride out of town. If any of you follow me, I'll put a bullet in her brain. Is that clear?"

"It's clear, but my friend Adam Cartwright has other plans for you. He's standing right behind you, and you won't go two feet with Frannie."

"Well, young man, I hope you never play poker. You don't bluff very well. I left your friend Adam in no condition to ride much less threaten me."

In his stocking feet, Adam silently stepped up behind Manson and pressed his pistol into Manson's lower back. Manson almost shuddered when he heard that deep baritone voice. "If you try to hurt her, I'll splinter your backbone. You'll be pissing yourself until the end of your life and wishing you could still walk."

Manson froze for only a few seconds. He whirled and pushed Frannie into Adam and attempted to flee as he fired several shots at the men in the street. One shot was returned immediately, and Manson fell on his face in the street. Candy looked over to see Adam with his right arm extended out over Frannie's head as his left arm cradled the girl. He had fired point blank into Manson killing him instantly.

"Candy, you better come grab her before I drop her."

"Don't drop her. I'll never forgive you if you do." Candy was quickly there to take Frannie as Ben and Hoss helped Adam to a chair.

"You were supposed to stay in the room." Ben was worried but relieved to find that Adam wasn't wounded. He had ducked for cover when Manson fired and had not seen Adam shoot the man. None of them had.

"After all this, that's what you have to say to me, Pa?"

"No, I'm sorry. Thank God, you're all right and so is Frannie. How did you manage that?"

"A few years as a bounty hunter kind of hone your fighting skills. Manson should have known that." Adam looked over at Manson's body lying in the street. He had killed others and seen their lifeless bodies afterwards. He had never had the sense of satisfaction that he had this time. He could hear Candy soothing Frannie, and he nodded. Things were put right again. Sitting on the wooden sidewalk, Candy looked up at Adam as he leaned back into a chair.

"What's wrong with her? She doesn't seem to know me and yet she seems so happy to see me."

"She's probably been drugged. That and the shock of what she's had to endure and the fear of what might await her has shaken her up some. Give her time. I've seen others who shake it off after a few hours of tender loving care. Do you think you're up to it?" Adam grinned then as Candy shook his head.

The sheriff was there by then and asked them what had happened. He took their statements, but told them not to leave town until he could wire Virginia City for some verification. He didn't have to do that though for Sheriff Roy Coffee and his posse rode into town. Ben took rooms in the hotel for everyone even allowing Candy to stay with Frannie although he insisted that Adam be in that room too. Candy sat in a chair by Frannie's side as she slept. He held her hand all through the night so she would know she was not alone. Still uncomfortable from his injuries, Adam slept fitfully in the other bed.

In the morning, Ben had Candy drive the wagon that Manson had stolen from the McPherson ranch. He told Adam to rest in the back. Adam would have argued about that except the thought of bouncing in the saddle for a full day wasn't at all appealing. He threw his saddle in the back of the wagon, spread out his bedroll, and reclined telling Candy to avoid the bumps in the road. Adam closed his eyes as Frannie settled on the seat next to Candy. She had awakened aware of her surroundings but still stressed out by what had happened. Riding next to Candy and finding out what had been done on her behalf calmed her. She had to be told that Manson was dead because she didn't recall anything that had happened the day before.

That night, they camped only a half-day's ride from home. Traveling with the wagon had slowed their travel. Adam moved his bedroll under the wagon so that Frannie and Candy could put their bedrolls in the wagon and sleep side by side where she felt safe. Adam grinned as he lay beneath the wagon. He was sure he heard the sounds of kissing, and there certainly was quite a bit of whispering. He kicked the bottom of the wagon.

"Hey, you two, you're not married yet. Get some sleep."

"Adam, don't you start with me. You know you're not up to fighting me right now."  
"I know, but I am the girl's chaperone, so behave yourself." There were snickers and chuckles from the other men, and Candy knew he had lost this round.

"Adam, I owe you one, and you know exactly what I mean." Unable to kiss Frannie with Adam so close, Candy pulled her into a spoon position with him and draped both blankets over them. She felt so good pressed up against him, he knew he might have a difficult time falling asleep but wouldn't change this position for the world. He had his love back and soon she would be his wife. In his heart and mind, nothing was going to change that.

The next morning, Adam, who had reached into the wagon to shake Candy's shoulder, awakened him. "Breakfast is cooking. You might want to wake Frannie to see if she wants to clean up before breakfast. We'll be heading out as soon as everyone is done eating. There's something you need to think about too. Do you want to take the wagon to the McPherson ranch or head directly to the Ponderosa? I think we ought to take the horses and ride home. Marietta and Aida must be sick with worry by now."

Frannie was awake and thinking clearly. "I want to go directly home if that's all right with you, Candy."

"Well, Adam would say something like 'your wish is my command, my lady', but I'll just say it plain. Yes, that's a good idea."

By the middle of the day, they arrived at the Ponderosa. Stiff and sore, Adam swung down from his horse grateful that the ride was finally over. Frannie too was a bit stiff as she was unaccustomed to riding that long. The door to the ranch house was flung open as Aida and the others rushed out to greet the men and see if they had been successful. Aida had Danny in her arms and the two of them hugged Adam and pulled him into the house where they all sat on the settee with Danny on Adam's lap and Aida with her arms wrapped through his arm. Marietta was almost overcome with crying and laughing seeing her daughter safe. She thanked every one of the men with a hug and a kiss before walking inside with her daughter. Candy seemed unsure of what to do until Hoss pushed him into the house ahead of him. Ben hugged Joyce and kissed her before following the others into the house. Claire kissed Hoss and welcomed him home too. Then the whole story had to be told. It took quite a while to get all the details in. No one was sorry to hear that Manson was dead. A lot of young women would be much safer with him gone.

Dinner was a festive occasion with everyone back safely. Aida could see though that Adam was tired. He really hadn't been in any shape to take on what he had done. He needed some rest. She asked Hop Sing to prepare a bath for him. Hop Sing had seen the same signs that Aida had and never complained about the extra work. Danny wanted to join Adam in the bath, and Aida thought it would be good for both of them so she got their robes and waited for them to finish. Then she told them they were going to bed. Danny wasn't at all surprised, but Adam raised an eyebrow.

"You're exhausted and don't even try to deny it. You need to sleep." That he offered no argument was proof enough that he knew she was correct. Adam fell asleep almost as soon as he slid into the bed. By the time Aida had tucked Danny into his bed, she returned to find that Adam was sound asleep. She closed the door and headed downstairs. There had been a look about her sister that had her worried. She wanted to talk with her before she went to bed as well. In Frannie's bedroom a short time later, Aida was very direct.

"You look worried about something. Manson is dead, our men are safe, and you're home so it has to be something else."

Frannie didn't even try to deny it. "Aida, how can you be sure if a man has been with you, you know, doing what he wants with you?"

Aida thought for a moment. "You think that Manson took you while you were drugged?"

Frannie nodded and the tears fell. Aida moved to her side and wrapped her arms around her. "Honey, it's not your fault. How could it be? You were drugged, and you don't even remember if it happened or not."

"I'm fairly sure it did. Oh, Aida, what if I'm with child, with his child?"  
"It's not too likely if it was only once."

"How can I ever tell Candy about this? What will he say if I'm with child? Will he still want to marry me?"

Chapter 11

For two weeks, Candy was concerned that what had happened had changed his relationship with Frannie although at times, she was as loving to him as she had been before it happened. At other times, she was a bit cool toward him and looked worried. Candy sought out Adam's advice eventually assuming that as sisters, Aida and Frannie might have some of the same characteristics. Aida had confided in Adam after Frannie had told her what she feared had happened. Adam listened as Candy expressed his concerns.

"Sometimes, she seems to be pushing me away. Then the next time we're together, it's like nothing happened. She cries sometimes for the simplest reasons. Last night, we played a chess match. She lost. It's not the first time although she wins a lot more than she loses. She started crying, and when I asked her what was wrong, she said nothing. Now I know it's not nothing, but how do I get her to talk with me?"

"She had a very traumatic experience. She's still recovering. Be there for her and continue to try to get her to talk about what happened. She may be holding some things back thinking you would rather not know. Talk about how important honesty and trust are for a couple in love."

"Do you and Aida talk about everything?"

"She knows more about me than any other person in this world. I have honestly answered every question she has asked me although not always right away. Sometimes I have to think about it for a while, but I tell her that too. I tell her that I'll answer her question when I've thought through the answer. And she never forgets." Adam chuckled a bit because on occasion he had thought to evade her questions that way. It never worked.

That night, Candy asked Frannie to walk with him as he did every night. This time though he had a lot more on his mind than hugging and kissing. He wanted honesty and planned to ask her what she was hiding. It was one of those nights when Frannie was cool and seemed lost in another place.

"Frannie, I've been meaning to say something to you for a couple of weeks. I didn't know how to say it, but I talked it over with Adam today, and he said to be honest. Honesty is very important in any relationship, don't you think?"

All Frannie could think was that Candy was breaking off their engagement. Tears began to flow, but his reaction confused her. Candy pulled her close and caressed her back telling her not to cry and that everything would be fine. Once she got some emotional control back, she had to ask.

"What were you going to ask me then? I thought you wanted to break off our engagement."

"Oh, never. I found the gal for me, and I can tell you, she's not going anywhere. No, that's not it at all. I thought perhaps I had done something wrong. Sometimes you act so cool to me it makes me wonder what I did. Please, honesty and trust are the things we need to build our future. Tell me what's wrong. Please?"

The tears flowed again, but this time, it was because Candy was being so sweet with her. She leaned on his shoulder and cried. He held her and waited. He knew it had to be something very serious to make her so emotional. As he waited and thought about what had happened two weeks earlier, he had a sudden chilling thought. If it was true, it would explain everything.

"Did Manson hurt you? Did he do more than drug you and force you to go with him?" As Frannie stiffened in his arms but cried more, Candy knew. "That bastard. I'd kill him again if Adam hadn't done if for us. Damn him."

"Oh, Candy, what if I'm with child? I would be so ashamed. I don't know where I'd go."

"Whoa, wait a minute. You wouldn't be going anywhere. If you're with child, then that child will be mine when we marry. If it's all right with the Cartwrights, it sure sits all right with me."

"What do you mean if it's all right with the Cartwrights? What do they have to do with this?"

So Candy explained what Joe had told him about how all three of the sons married women who were already with child, but Ben couldn't say too much because he had married Marie when she was already carrying Joseph. "Sweetie, that happens a lot out here. Life passes so quickly sometimes, that waiting just doesn't seem that important. You have to grab love when you get a chance."

"But none of those women was carrying another man's child."

"Do you think it would have made a bit of difference to any of those men in there? You did nothing wrong. That babe, if there is one, did nothing wrong. All you deserve is love, and I've got enough for you and for any baby we have. What should we name him?"

"I like the sound of Matthew."

"Matt, hmm, sounds like something you'd walk all over."

"Arthur was my grandfather's name."

"Art, hmm, we'd have to hang him on the wall for everyone to admire."

Frannie punched him in the arm for that one, but then supplied other names for him to impart a funny line. By the time they reached the house again, they were laughing at the inanity of it all. Everyone relaxed as they entered. Whatever storm had been brewing in their relationship was resolved. Adam and Aida looked at each other and smiled. It looked like there was no problem with the upcoming wedding.

A week later, Aida and Frannie went to town for the final fittings for their dresses for the wedding. Aida had gained a bit more weight in her pregnancy and wanted to be sure that the dress would fit properly and at least camouflage her condition a bit at least. Aida had talked Frannie into seeing Doctor Martin too. Aida saw him every few weeks because of her pregnancy and assured Frannie that he could be completely discreet. No one would think anything of Frannie accompanying Aida to see the doctor so they didn't need to fear the startup of some nasty rumors. After Paul examined Aida, he had good news.

"Everything looks normal now. I know I was worried with everything I heard about what happened with Adam being hurt and Frannie being kidnapped. But you got through the crises quite well and all looks very good. Any spotting?"

"Not since my last check-up. That's good, isn't it?"

"That's very good. Now take it easy for these last months with no extra exertion, no riding, and you and Adam need to be gentle with each other."

Understanding quite well what he meant with the last part, Aida nodded as Frannie blushed for she had understood it as well. Then Paul did an examination of Frannie and explained the results to her. The two sisters had a lot of talking to do as they drove back to the Ponderosa. Adam and Candy were waiting for them. Oh, they made it look like they were working on a wagon in the yard, but they had been working on it when the ladies left, so both women knew they were actually waiting for them. Adam helped Aida from the carriage as Candy helped Frannie down. Both ladies were grinning. Aida spoke first before Frannie could blurt out her news.

"I'm fine. Paul said the danger of miscarriage seems to have passed, and as long as we're careful, we should have another baby in a few months."

"And I'm not, and we won't."

Both men hugged their ladies respectively then and smiled. They had a wedding for which to prepare, and then Adam and Aida would be welcoming their second child. All was right with the world. Frannie did have one concern though.

"Where are we going to live? With everything that's happened, the house never got started."

"Well, if it meets with your approval, Joe is willing to turn over his cottage to us. It's not too far away, but it's far enough away. Adam thinks we can fix it up just fine before the wedding."

"What are we waiting for? Let's go take a look."

Epilogue

Within a month, Candy and Frannie were married and living in the little cottage by the pond. With the help of the Cartwright brothers, there was a stable and corral added and the interior was cleaned up and painted. A few months later when Adam and Aida welcomed Margaret Elizabeth or Peg into their family, Candy and Frannie had an announcement to make to the family that they were expecting their first child. To celebrate, Ben deeded over the acres of land around the cottage, which made Candy a landowner as well. Eventually Candy hoped to have his own horse business, but he continued on as the Ponderosa foreman until everyone felt that Griff was ready to step up into that responsibility.


End file.
